My Hero
by LegendThriller
Summary: She was looking for love beneath the covers, he was creating a false love within his own. Pairings include Jeff HardyxCandice Michelle, Randy OrtonxOC, John CenaxLillian GarciaxBatista. Please read and review! ch20 up 11\17\08. Sorry for the wait!
1. Chapter 1

Jeff Hardy watched as his beautiful bride floated down the aisle. Her face glowed as she carried the bouquet of white roses in front of her, with her mouth in the perfect smile that he knew so well. She walked slowly and gracefully, making her way towards shore of her beachside wedding. With her two bridesmaids, Maria and Torrie, wearing matching white dresses, she took a final step to stand before her soon-to-be husband, ignoring the dark clouds that were coming their way.

Candice's smile grew when she saw him staring at her, his eyes gazing at her dress. It made her want to drop her bouquet and have him take her right there, but she restrained herself from acting like that in front of the priest. She knew he would watch her every moment from now, watch as she slowly tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and chew seductivley on her bottom lip while they made eye contact.

With a sigh, she turned her attention away from the best man, and back to the man in front of her.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today," the priest began, staring down at the brides bouquet. He almost stopped in mind-sentence as the middle rose slowly turned, but continued as he saw the happy couple smiling at each other, waiting for him to continue with the ceromony.

But Jeff couldn't take it any longer. He just wanted to move as close as he could to his bride and hold her for as long as he possible could. Then, when the priest began to speak slower, and his body began to shrink, Jeff panicked. The white hair was that was so neatly kept on top of his head was slowly disapearing with each rain drop as they fell. It was then Candice, the woman that stood before him in a white dress to show her innoncence and purity, dropped her bouquet of white roses and ran to the arms of his best man...his own brother.

Jeff watched as Torrie and Maria quickly joined hands and ran off into the ocean, where a lightning bolt had just struck, causing a ripple within the water, and a giant wave coming in their direction. Once that waved crashed down, the two Diva's were nowhere to be seen.

Turning around, back to the site of what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, his brother and never-was-wife wasn't there. Instead, their fingers were linked through each others and their backs were turned, walking in the complete opposite direction where it was sunny and bright, just like their future together.

While in the rain, Jeff fell to his knees, wondering what went wrong. How something that was so perfect in reality had been destroyed so quickly, all before they could say their vows. And while he sat there in the sand, his tuxedo ripped to shreads from the wind and his hair out of his ponytail, a single black rose rolled towards him, stopping as it leaned against his shoe. The rest of the white roses blew past him, each thorn falling off and holes in the sand from where they had landed.

With a defeated sigh, he toyed with the dead rose and let a single tear fall onto a petal, and watched as the black dye drained onto the sand beneth him. As soon as the lone drop hit the ground, a hole developed and he fell in, never reaching the bottom.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

John Cena and Randy Orton sat at the opposite end of the locker room, watching as the youngest Hardy slept on the ground using his baggage as a pillow. While the duo could quietly hear him talk to himself in his sleep, they knew what he was dreaming, as he has had the same dream for almost the past five months. They looked at each other, silently debating if they should wake him up, but it was the sudden burst through the door that actually caused the sleeping man to stir.

"Hey baby!" Candice greeted Jeff, sitting on his lap while he slowly started to wake up. "Did I wake you?" she asked, pouting her bottom lip out, "because if I did, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to see you. I missed you! And I have this Diva shoot coming up, and then I have to make the final plans for our wedding...it's going to be _so_ stressful. Are you stressed out?"

Randy rolled his eyes at the brunette while she sat on his best friend's lap, noticing how Jeff had yet to say hello to his fiancee. He sat down on the bench behind him, joining John who was busy texting on his cell phone. "Anything interesting?" the Legend Killer asked, looking over the champion's shoulder.

John shrugged his shoulders, closing his phone quickly. "Just making some last minute plans for a vacation. Why?" John eyed up Candice as she played with strands of Jeff's hair, whispering in his ear. A small smile appeared on Jeff's face while she continued to whisper, quickly followed by him nuzzling her neck, causing her to giggle. Randy, seeing what his friend was staring at, placed a hand on John's leg and sighed.

"She makes him happy," he said. "That's what matters right?"

They both stood up, dressed in their workout gear, and left the change room without saying goodbye to the couple on the ground. When the door closed and they were down the hall, both let out matching grunts in frustration. "Are you serious?" John asked, leaning against the wall. "He's seriously going to marry her? Spend the rest of his life with her? Seriously?"

"Like, seriously?" a mocking Lillian Garcia asked, standing in the middle of the two men. "Is this all you guys do? Complain about how she takes away too much time from Jeff so he can't hang out with you guys? They have a wedding to plan." She placed her hands on her hips and looked at John. "Seriously?" she asked again with a wink. "Guys, you just have to give it time, k? He'll be back to the Jeff Hardy we all know and love in no time."

"Used to know," Randy corrected her. "We don't know him anymore. Dude is fried. He's fried because he's got Candice on his mind constantly, and he needs to..."

"Not have her on his mind," John finished, giving his friend a nod. Lillian gave a small chuckle as she took a seat on top of the clothing crate that was beside John and began to swing her feet back and forth. "There has to be something we could do, man," John moaned. "Something!"

Randy shrugged his shoulders, looking at the announcer for an answer. "Is there something?" he asked her. "You should know, you're a girl. Don't you girls have a sense for these things?"

"Ha!" Lillian laughed, flinging her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Are you kidding me? We try to stay away from Candice. That girl is too much. Did you know she managed to sleep with Edge and Hunter at the Rumble?" Both guys raised their eyebrows in interest, waiting for Lillian to continue. "She brags about it constantly. And the whole, 'I wear my engagment ring on a necklace because it's closer to my heart'? She totally stole that from Sex and the City because Carrie did it, and Carrie totally wasn't ready to get married to Aiden. Trust me, everyone needs a break from her. Candice Michelle is sex on legs, and I have to spend a week with her soon. A week with that...that _thing_. Ew." She shuddered at the fact, closing her eyes to get the visual out of her head. "Just thinking about it makes me feel dirty. Out of all the girls I could've been stuck with for the Diva shoot, I'm stuck with her."

"Don't you do those things in groups?" John asked, glancing down at the screen of his phone.

"Oh, right," Lillian said with a fake laugh. "It's Candice, Kelly, and Maria. I get along with Maria fine, but Candice and Kelly? Fucking gag me." She hopped down from her spot, looking up at John. "That vaction you're going on...do you think there's room for a guest?"

John's eyes opened as he looked up from his phone, surprised that she even knew about it. "I swear, get me away from her for like, a week...and I'll forever be in your debt. Forever, I promise. I need to get away from her."

"Me too," Randy agreed, his arm lazily drapped over Lillian. "How about room for two guests? We can get a nice little cottage up north by the lake, have a nice wooden porch, chilled tunes..."

"Uh..." John shoved his phone in his pocket, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion. "It's not _that _kind of vaction, guys. I was just going to my place in Colorado for a few weeks."

Randy's and Lillian's faces fell at John reveleation, both of them looking down and staring at their shoes. "Oh," Lillian was the first one to speak. "Well, that's cool. I'll go home to Dave then, we have some things to sort out...who gets what and whatever," she whispered, talking of her divorce. "Probably call my lawyer...should speak to my sister, see if I can stay with her..." her voice slowly drifted off as she turned her back on the two men, her hands in her pockets and eyes focused on the ground.

When she was out of their view, Randy slapped his friend over the head. "What the hell dude!" he almost shouted. "You could've had that. You could've had her in your house for weeks, and you tell her no? The woman is going through a difficult time in her life, don't you think she needs people to surpport her right now? She needs us. Real men."

John shook his head as he turned away from Randy and began heading to catering on his own. He wasn't suprised when the Legend Killer was just steps behind him, still talking to him about what had just happend. "John, I mean it," he said, stepping in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "She needs us right now. Espically you, you guys are close."

"Randy," John began, running his fingers through his buzzed hair, "I need time to myself now too. I need to get my head cleared out for a bit, that's why I'm going to Colorado. I need to be on my own, and just...not do anything, k?" Randy nodded his head, holding his hands up in self defense. "I just need to be by myself. But hey, if you want to get that cabin up north, and invite Lil with you, then go ahead. She needs it." John tried to continue his walk to catering, but he was again stopped by Randy.

"Dude, I'm serious," Randy told him. "Lillian needs to be around us so she can feel good again. After the shoot, do you really want her to go back to her home where Batista is going to be with his new girlfriend, and then sort out shit in front of her? No woman should go through that, man. Lil needs to be with someone she trusts, and the only person she really trusts right now is you."

The champion sighed, placing his hands in his pockets where his fingers would fiddle with the lose change and candy wrappers. He knew about the rough time Lillian was going through, he was afterall, the first person she called when she found the divorce papers placed on the centre of her dining room table. Her voice was calm on the phone, not frantic or scared. It was the most at peace she had ever sounded, and that is how she was for the next four hours while they talked.

"I don't know man," John finally responded. "I don't want my place to be a hotel, you know? I only have three guest rooms..."

"Only?" Randy said sarcastically, resisiting the urge to slap him again. "It won't be a fucking hotel. It'll be me, Lil, and Hardy, which, by the way, is only three people. And you, by the way, have three guest rooms."

John clenched his fist inside his pockets, trying not to lose his temper. More people were starting to come through the hallway to get to catering, and he didn't want to make a scene by taking Randy's head and slamming it against the wall, repeatedly, while he got some sick satisfaction out of it. Although the image ran through his head, completed with John stepping over the body to go eat his quick dinner, he kept to himself and waited for his anger to cool before he finally asked, "why the hell did you mention Jeff?"

"Did you not hear Lillian? Everyone needs a break from Candice, you don't think that means her own fiancee?"

"It's not supposed to mean her own fiancee!" John finally yelled. "This is my time, OK? My vaction, in my home, by myself. That's it! Not you, not Lillian, and not Jeff. Nobody! But me!"

Randy studied his friend's face closely, trying to find any sign that he would give in to his idea. When he quickly scanned their conversation over in his head, he smirked to himself... _"I only have three guest rooms..."_

"Ness," the Legend Killer said confidently. "Ness is with you, isn't she?"

"What? No," John quickly defened himself, side stepping to get Randy out of his way.

"She is!" he shouted, moving himself in front of his friend again. "Ness is staying with you, or else you would've allowed someone to sleep in her room like you always do! John..." the younger man took a deep breath, placing his hands on his friends shoulders, "allow us to stay with you. Please."

"Us? No, Randy. No one is staying with me. It's me, and Ness, and that's it. The last thing my sister needs is for you to be around. You're staying away from her, and so is Lillian and anyone else you had in mind. That's it." Pushing Randy out of his way violently, John finally made his way to catering, finding a table in the back, by himself.

While he picked away at his potatoes and supposed chicken, the champion sighed to himself as he dropped his plastic fork onto his paper plate, contemplating if he should just throw it out. The knot of guilt in his stomach made him feel nauseous once he saw Lillian walk in the room, her hands in her pockets as she entered with Jeff and Randy. Her eyes lit up when she saw John, and she ran to get to him before he managed to escape from the far exit door.

"Randy says that you lied and really you do have enough room for us to stay at your place but you just don't want us to because Ness is there and you don't think she should hang around us," she said in a breath, leaning against the door to block his way. "Is that true?"

Shooting daggers at Randy from his eyes, John sighed, "yes," he admitted. "Ness is with me and I don't want her around you guys, because you're all horrible influences on her."

"I've never met her..." Jeff whispered.

"And I haven't seen her since she moved in with you! John, please! Just for a few nights?" her blue eyes grew wide as she gave him her best sympathetic look, hoping, praying, that he would give in. "We won't make a mess," she swore, holding up her hand in honor.

Scrunching his hands into a fist by his sides, John looked away from his friends with his eyes closed, doing his best to remain calm. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, the words he just wanted to shout one last time at the people he was closest to. It would be so easy, just to unclench his fist and slap Randy for being so annoying, and slap Jeff just for...being associated with Randy. Just to shout "NO!" at the top of his lungs...

"Fine." His eyes remained closed as Lillian threw her arms around her closest confidant, not even noticing how motionless he felt in her arms. Jeff gave him a thankful smile before his fiancee came over and dragged him away, making him sit down next to Torrie and across from Maria while they discussed wedding plans.

The Hardy Boy's heart sank as he rememebred his dream from the night before, remembering how both Diva's had drowned in the ocean. How he even managed to dream that upsetted him, he never wanted anything bad to happen to Torrie and Maria. They were completely innoncent in every possible way, and he was glad that Candice had asked them to be apart of her wedding party. He knew they would look stunning in whatever dress they would choose to wear for being bridesmaid's.

When Randy walked back and slipped a napkin under Jeff's hand, they exchanged a smirk. Both men in their mid to late twenties, and they're still passing notes.

Reading the note underneth the table, Jeff scrunched his eyebrows in confusion while he read the messy handwriting that was scribbled:

_You'll regret meeting her._


	2. Chapter 2

The music was blaring from his house as John pulled into the driveway, already making him worry about how messy inside would be. She wasn't exactly the cleanest person, and he could only pray she had destroyed her room and only her room. When he got out of his car, not bothering to wake up the sleeping passangers, a small smile appeared on his face when he saw Ness run out the front door in her bare feet.

"John!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I thought you were never going to make it, you're like, two hours later than you said you would be! Where's your bags, I'll carry them for you," she offered, walking to the car and opening the trunk. "What happend? Layover? Luggage?"

"Waiting for Randy to get out of the shower," John moaned, lifting one of his bags. "He's too high matience for me. I can't see why we're friends."

Ness gave a grin as she threw a bag over her shoulder, taking his rolling luggage in her hand and dragging it inside the house for her brother. "Were there bodies in your car?" she asked jokingly, sitting down at the kitchen table, leaving his suitcase at the bottom of the stairs near the entrance. "Wasn't this supposed to be a vaction for you? We were going to go up to the rockies for a day..."

"Change of plans," he interrupted her. When he saw the hurt look on her face, he instantly reached out to her and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I tried to stop it, really. Ask Lillian when she wakes up. But Lils, Randy and Jeff are going to be staying here for a bit..."

"Jeff?" Ness questioned, looking up at her brother from her spot on his shoulder. "Who's Jeff?" She stood up from her spot and took the elastic band that was around her wrist to throw her brown mane in a messy ponytail on top of her head.

"Hardy. You haven't met him before, he just came back last year..."

"He was employed before?" she took a container of ice cream out of the freezer, waiting for John to continue.

"Yeah...I think you guys will be cool with each other. He's engaged to Candice, remember her? About your height, brown hair..."

"The whore that stole fifty dollars out of my wallet? I could've smacked her right in the fa..."

"John! Where the hell are ya, give me a tour of this fucking place!" Randy's voice interrupted, followed by a thud of his bags crashing to the ground. "You didn't even bring my bags in for me? You're a terrible host, you know that? But hey, where's my room? Upstairs, downstairs..." The sentence hung in the air as he took a look at the woman standing by the counter with the container of ice cream in her hands, his trademark smirk appearing on his lips. "Hey Ness," he greeted her, giving her a wink. She gave a smug smile in return, quickly sutffing another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, "hi Randy." Placing the lid back on the container, Ness carefully put the ice cream back in the freezer. She could feel his eyes on her, scanning her up and down while she looked her worst in track pants and one of John's sweatshirt.

But she couldn't help it when she saw her brother turn around, she instantly looked at Randy and gave him a wink before she took her purse off of the kitchen counter and dug through it, finding her cigerettes. "I'm going to go have a smoke before bed," she informed the men, opening the patio door to let herself out.

The cold air hit her instantly when she stepped outside, slowly closing the door behind her. Fumbling with her pockets to get her lighter, her attention was distracted when she spotted Randy looking at her outside the kitchen window. His grin reappeared on his face as he watched the youngest Cena blow a perfect smoke ring in his direction, focusing on her lips and the nicotine that adorned them. Her tongue licked them attractivley before she brought the cigerette back to her lips and turned her attention else where.

Turning her back to rest against the guard rail and her visual thoughts away from Randy, she broke out into a smile when she saw Lillian approaching her. "Lils!" She yelled, meeting her half way to wrap her arms around her friend, making sure her cigerette was away from her. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You have no idea how much we had to convince John to let us come over," Lillian said with a sigh, taking a seat in one of the plastic chairs and stealing the cigerette away from Ness to take a drag for herself. "Had it not been for Randy, I would've been at my sisters while Dave and whatsherface stayed at the house. Oh man," she blew out smoke, finding instant relaxation coming over her. "These are going to be a fun few days."

Ness couldn't help but smile at her friend, ignoring the fact that she's never seen her smoke before, but she knew this is what she needed: a getaway from the stress in her life. "So, what's been going on in your life, chickie?" Lillian suddenly asked, handing over the smoke.

The brunette shrugged her shoulders, tucking her knees to her chest, "getting my life back on track," she said with a laugh, noticing the serious look on her friends face. "Volunteer work here and there...why are you looking at me like that?"

The singer stood up and grabbed her friends hand, flicking the cigerette away and stubbing it out with the toe of her shoe. Together they rushed inside and down the stairs to the basement where Jeff was, stretched out on the couch with a blanket over top of him and the TV on low. "That's Jeff Hardy," Lillian whispered, "you guys should talk...when he's awake..."

"O...K..." Ness agreed, heading back up the stairs. Lillian followed suit, going up as quietly as she could before they were in the kitchen where the blonde let out a sigh. "I'm serious," she told her friend. "You should talk to him."

Letting out a groan, Ness leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to calm her breathing. "Look," she began, staring at her feet to avoid eye contact, "I know you're only trying to help, but I don't need it. I'm fine." She let out a puff of air before she turned around to go to the entrance area where the stairs were that lead upstairs to the bedrooms.

The stairs creeked underneth her bare feet as she noticed the first door at the end of the hall was closed: John's room. She quietly beamed when she opened the door just a little bit, and saw that he was down and out, much like Jeff was downstairs. The next room over would be hers, but that wasn't where she was heading. In fact, that was the last place she wanted to be. Even though the queen sized bed had clean sheets, and was freshly made, that wasn't her destination point.

While the next door that was beside her room was the bathroom, it was the door after that she needed. The bed room that was dark blue, had a masculine smell and that one personal touch that no other room in the entire house had at the moment.

Him.

Knocking on the door knob, their code for alerting one another on who it is, she allowed herself in, only to see Randy laying on the bed by himself, wearing his boxers and quietly watching the television that was across from him on the wall. "Hi," she whispered, slowly shutting the door behind her.

Without hesitating, Randy stood up from the bed, and backed her up against the door, and quickly crashed his lips against hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A bang woke up Jeff, who was still asleep downstairs when he saw the clock read 1:17AM. He felt bad for not wanting to look around the house when he first entered, but opted to find the quietest room in the house and fall asleep there where no one else was. Trying to sleep on the ride home was unsuccessfull, with Lillian giving Randy singing lessons in the back seat and John having his stero turned up as loud as it could go. Every now and then he could feel his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, knowing it was Candice, but he ignored it, hoping just for twenty minutes of sleep. But of course he didn't get it. He settled for six hours instead when he crashed onto the couch as soon as he saw it.

What was troubling him now though, was what fell from upstairs that caused such a loud sound so late at night.

Standing up from the couch and fixing his crooked clothes, he reached for the guardrail for the stairs, slowly walking up. His eyes still half shut, he could barely make out all the pots and pans on the floor, until he stepped on the handle of one, sending it flying to the side where it crashed against the wall. "Oh..." he mumbled, quickly rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," he heard a small voice say from the other side of the kitchen. He looked up, seeing her standing on top of a chair, staring down at the mess beneth her. "Did I wake you?" She stepped down and around the pans to make her way towards Jeff, who was slowly rubbing his foot. "Are you hurt? Sit down, I'll get you a band-aid..."

"I'm fine, are you OK? What are you still doing awake, everyone else is sleeping." Picking up a pot from the ground and placing it on the counter, he looked at the much smaller woman, waiting for an answer. "I'm Jeff, by the way," he introduced himself, sticking out his hand.

"Oh shit, sorry. Ness," she shook his hand in return, looking up at him. "Want to help me make a pie?"

He cocked his head to the left, scanning her quickly. She had a familar face to her, with her tan skin and almond shaped eyes. It was as if he knew her from somewhere, but couldn't remember from where... "a pie? At...1:25 in the morning?" he questioned, trying to take his mind off of her features.

"Well, yeah...that's what I asked," Ness reponded, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "It's OK if you don't want to, I'm just doing it to bug John. It can wait until the afternoon when he gets back from the gym." She shrugged her shoulders and walked back to the chair that she was on, standing on top of it and smiled, "there's the pan," she showed to Jeff, her smile getting wider. "So, we do this now, or the afternoon. What do you think?"

The sweatshirt she wore earlier was draped over chair in the living room, leaving her in a blue tank top to match the blue track pants she was wearing. In her barefeet, the bottom of the pants reached just the tip of her toes, almost covering them like a slipper. While she shuffled across the kitchen floor, Jeff continued to stare at her, taking in her skin tone, her curves, the tattoo on the lower left side of her back that was exposed..."Have we met before?" he blurted out, his southern accent apparent at his quick burst.

Stopping in her tracks in front of the refridgerator, Ness looked at him quizzically. "Backstage maybe?" she answered with a shrug, taking a bag of apples out of the drawer. "You don't seem familar, and with hair like yours, I don't think you'd be a forgettable person." Ness gave him a wink as she bit into an apple and tossed one to Jeff, "start chopping, Rainbow Bright, I'm going to go get the flour and salt."

Jeff continued to stare at her in amazement, and watched as she began to work her way around the kitchen, knowing where everything was. He could see her lips move as she talked to herself and would stop to think for a quick second, ticking off everything she has done off of her fingers. The way her lip would get sucked into her mouth while she was stirring the ingredients together, and he silently stood there, cutting up the apples evenly into the glass measuring bowl. "You've made apple pie before, right?" she asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

"My mom used to every Wednesday," he said with a faint smile. "She'd sit it out on the front window sill, and my brother and I would race home to have the first slice. He usually won, only because he'd push me into a tree on the front yard..." Jeff stopped and took a bite out of a fresh apple, leaning against the counter while he watched Ness continue to stir. "You know, you don't look like a Cena," he mentioned.

"You don't look like a wrestler," she mumbled, stopping to put her hair in a ponytail. "Besides, I look more like mom anyways." She didn't bother to look up at the youngest Hardy which she continued to make the crust, pouring everything in the pan. Pinching the sides of the dough to make the ends curl, she stole the bowl away from Jeff to dump the rest of the ingredients to finish the pie, finally placing three strips of mix on top and placing it in the oven, setting the timer for an hour. "There," she spoke to herself, hands on her hips and staring down at the oven. "Stay awake for another hour, then bed. Sound good?" her brown eyes looked up at Jeff, waiting for an answer. When his mouth opened to respond, he had the words on the tip of his tongue, but closed his mouth and decided to say nothing. "Whatever, I'm going out for a cigerette."

Grabbing her sweater, a book, and smokes off the chair, Ness left the kitchen and back to the patio outside, shivering at the coldness. Sitting in the plastic chair that Lillian and herself sat in earlier, she turned it around so she was facing the house, looking up to the far right window and grinning when she saw Randy standing there, looking down at her. She took a drag out of her cigerette and blew the smoke up at him, sliently laughing to herself when he turned around and closed the curtains on her.

Watching from the kitchen window, Jeff rested his head in his hands, staring down at the sink. He knew she was familar from somewhere. Her voice, her body, her eyes...he had seen them all before, right in front of him. Just to reach out and touch her...she was so familar...

His cell phone was viberating in his back pocket, and he knew it was Candice. She always called him at unpopular times during the night, just wanting to "talk". Refusing the believe the rumours of her cheating ways, normally Jeff would talk to her, proving the guys how wrong they were, because if she was with another man, then why would she be calling him? He glanced at the screen, just in case he was wrong, but he was somewhat right; she did leave a text messege reading:

_Just a few more final touches before you're my husband._

_XOOX_

_Candy_

"What are you reading?" Ness suddenly asked, appearing beside Jeff by sitting on the counter. "Messege from the girlfriend?"

"Fiancee," Jeff corrected her, finishing the final touches of her messege back to her. "We're getting married in a month. She has a Diva shoot to do, then two days after that, she's going to stay there on the beach, and we're all flying out for the wedding."

"A beach wedding? That's cool. With the ocean and stuff..." her sentence was cut off by the timer, causing Ness to giggle. "I need your help again. See the table out there? I need you to put that bench on top of the table, then I need you to put that chair on top of the bench, k?"

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Jeff looked down at her, unsure. "Aren't you going to fall and hurt yourself?"

"Not if you catch me." She gave him a smile as she put the oven mitts on, taking out the pie. Standing paciently by the door, Ness looked at Jeff, nudging her head in the door direction, "come on, before the pie gets cold."

Walking over to open the door, Jeff let her out first, following close behind her as she walked over to the bench. "I don't understand," he said quietly, looking up at all the open windows. "Why am I stacking everything on top of each other? You should really consider this..."

Laughing to herself, she kicked a chair towards him while she sat down on another one. "Hey, I know you're just looking out for me, but really...can you just do it? If not, I can get Randy, he won't mind helping me out. I could always reward him after." Jeff shook his head at her attitude while he picked up the bench and placed it on top of the table. "Vertical," she ordered. "The bench has to go vertical. I can't reach John's window like that."

"Ness, I really think you should reconsider this," Jeff hesistated before he picked up the bench again. "All this just to get John to cheat on his diet? Really..."

With a shurg, the brunette walked back towards the door, "it's cool," she called back to him over her shoulder, "I'll just get Randy to do it for me." Even though he had just met her, just hearing her say Randy's name made his stomach turn. When the patio door began to slowly open, Jeff used all of his strength to make the bench stand upwards, not even flinching when it fell onto his shoulder. Pushing it back up, he stood there while it wobbled, making sure it wouldn't fall again. Grabbing the plastic chair that she had kicked towards him earlier, he climbed on what little room was left on the table, carefully placing the chair on top of the bench, having it sit inches away from John's window.

"Hey," he called back to her, guilty for giving into her ways. "I'll give you a boost."

Smiling to herself, Ness turned around with the pie in her hand, moving towards him. "Thanks," she said, giving him a smile. "Hold onto this." Handing him over the pie, she climbed up on the small space the table had, stood on her tip toes and reached the top of the bench, using her upper body strength to pull herself up. When she finally got up on the chair, she waved her hand for the pie, and placed it softly on the window sill, leading into John's room. "Perfect," she said, giving the man at the bottom a thumbs up.

Jeff gave a thumbs up back before he watched miss a step off the chair and let out a scream. All he had to do was step forward and hold out his arms, but before he knew it, there was Ness, breathing heavily while she looked up at him, her brown eyes wide in shock. "Are you OK?" he managed to ask once he placed her steadly on the ground.

"Yeah," she answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks, that would've been nasty," she joked, lightly slapping him on the arm. They walked back to the door in silence, stopping at the bottom of the stairs in the front hall. "I'm going to bed," she whispered, seeing a bedroom door open. "Thanks for helping..." she played with the draw strings on her track pants as she looked back up at Jeff, "do you want to come down town with me tomorrow? I have John's laundry to do, and other things..."

With a shrug, Jeff glanced down at his feet, ignoring the glare Randy was giving him from the top of the stairs. "I...I don't know. Maybe, if the guys don't want to do anything..."

"Cool. So.. goodnight," Ness said, giving him a small wave before she headed up the stairs into Randy's arms. He placed a kiss on top of her head, holding her tight as his fingers roamed her back.

"Hey baby," he moaned, letting her go and watched her yawn. "Ready for bed?"

She groaned her response, leaning against his body while she grabbed his hand and lead him to her bedroom. Allowing him in first, she turned around to stare back down at Jeff, who was still at the bottom of the stairs. Ness bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the at the bottom, whispering an "I'm sorry,", praying he would hear her.

He smiled sadly back at her, shrugging his shoulders and watched as the door shut and listened while it clicked quietly, ignoring the loud giggle that came from behind it shortly after. With his eyes on the ground, Jeff watched his feet move forward and back downstairs, crashing back down on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Baby?" Ness moaned, her arm flinging over Randy's torso early in the morning, "I don't wanna get out of bed." Rolling on top of him so she was stradling his hips, she leaned down to press a kiss on his lips, waiting for his response. "Let's stay in here all day," she whispered, her hands trailing up his chisealed chest.

A slight grin came to his face as he placed his hands on bare thighs, running his own fingers up her legs, "and why would that be, Nessa?" Sitting up against the headboard, he stared at the woman in front of him, watching as her hands moved all along his upper body, watching as her lips turned into a smile of her own.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, taking a deep breath that sucked in her stomach while his fingers tickled her sides, "I think it's because..." she twirled a strand of hair around her index finger, giving him her best bedroom eyes, "we haven't been together in a long time and...I missed you..." she told him, cupping his face and bringing his lips to hers, just barely touching to tease him.

His chuckles as he tried to deepen the kiss tickled her, before she let out a squeal as Randy flipped her over so he was on top, burying his lips into her neck. She could feel his fingers attack her sides, making her laugh so hard she had tears streaming down her face. His fingers kept going lower and lower on her, stopping at the base of her thighs before his lips left a trail along her stomach. A gasp of his name escaped her when he gently kissed the inside of her leg, closing her eyes in anticapation. They were both already naked from the night before, their clothes discarded by the entrance of the room, laying wherever they landed at that moment of greed. She placed a hand on the back of his head, bringing him closer than he was and let out a throaty moan, feeling his tongue violate her insides. The blankets that were so out of place were gently put over his body, covering him so she couldn't see what he was doing; it was more exciting that way.

Clenching onto the sheets, she could feel that warmth in the pit of her stomach, knowing what was going to happen at any unexpected moment. That was until...there was a knock on the door.

"What?!" Randy yelled, moving from his position and throwing on his boxers before opening the door. Startled, Lillian bowed her head, staring at the ground.

"We're going to the gym, we were just wondering if you and Ness wanted to come..."

"Go away, Lillian!" Ness shouted, standing up from the bed and slamming the door in her friend's face. With a sigh, she pressed her naked form against the door, looking at Randy with a disapointed look. "I'm not in the mood anymore," she mumbled, kneeling down to pick up her clothes.

"That sucks," he commented, meeting her on the ground, taking her legs out from underneth her and positioning himself above her frame, "because I am."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

John waited for Lillian at the bottom of the stairs while she slowly came down, her face red in embarassment and her blonde hair a curtain in front of her face. "They're going to stay here," she whispered, meeting John on the floor. "Is Jeff coming?"

The champion shrugged his shoulders as he picked up his gym bag, "last I checked he was asleep downstairs on the couch. Doesn't even want the room down there, just the couch. Is that, weird?"The blonde shrugged her shoulders, giving John a small smile, "it's Jeff," she said quietly.

Opening the door, he took a step back for Lillian to exit first, rolling his eyes at the sound of Randy moaning behind his bedroom door. "Ready?" he asked her, holding the passenger side door open for her and watched as she gently climbed in, as if she didn't want to make any noise. She did her seatbelt slowly and waited paciently for John to join her, folding her hands polietly in her lap.

When he started his car, he drove slowly, keeping most of his attention on the quite blonde to his right. The radio that was usually loud and pumping so you could hear from blocks away wasn't even on, something Lillian usually objects to. "Lils?" John asked once they reached a stop light, "what's on your mind?"

She stared blankly at the palm of her hands and gave a forced smile to him. "Nothing," she lied with her voice hardly above a whisper, "the light is green."

John did his best to ignore her silence, but he couldn't help and care for her. They've traveled together since he moved to the Raw roster since he was the one that introduced Lillian to her soon-to-be-ex husband, Dave Batista, so they knew each other well enough to even notice the smallest things.

Lillian not talking or not complaining that there was no music wasn't a small thing...it was a huge thing.

To get to the gym he would have to make a right turn at the next stop light, but instead he made a left. With her head leaned against the window, her blue eyes looked over at John, giving him a questioning look. "Isn't the gym the other way?" she asked, not wanting to ruin his concentration.

"Yes," he simply answered, pulling into a parking space at Sansone's Bistro. "I thought we'd get a bite to eat first."

"Oh, I'm not very hungry..."

"Lils," John stopped her protest, turning his car off completely. "Let's eat." Looking down at her hands that were still in her lap, she moved them to the door handle, letting herself out and adjusting her sweat pants while she placed her feet on the ground and shuffled her feet towards the entrance.

He stood at the back of the vehicle and waited for Lillian, watched as she shuffled and looked down, keeping her arms at her sides and her hands in the pockets of her sweat pants that were dragging on the ground by the heels. John waited for her to move ahead of him before he even moved, making sure she actually walked into the Bistro instead of running off at the last second; she's done that before.

They sat down in the booth in the very back in silence, glaring at the menu. Lillian placed it back down on the table and rested her head in her hands, avoiding eye contact with John. "Can we please talk about something?" she asked.

"What's wrong?" John asked blantly, trying not to raise his voice. "Ever since we got home, you've been all quiet and distant, or with Ness. You've hardly talked to me since London and that was over a month ago."

Lillian shrugged her shoulders and tucked a strand behind her ear, keeping her eyes on the table, "I've been occupied."

He took his hat off and placed it next to him on his side of the booth, wanting to reach out and hold her hand, but when he made the gesture, she quickly pulled away and placed her hand over her stomach. "Lils," John whispered, hurt. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing, really," she tried to assure him, "just, you know...this whole divorce thing, and next weeks photo shoot..." her voice trailed off as she looked over to her right, staring at the happy couple beside them, holding hands while they sat across from each other and the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. "I just don't know how to tell him."

With a sigh, John leaned back in his chair, looking at his distraught friend, "tell who what?" he questioned, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

Placing her elbows on the tables and her head in her hands, she looked down with her eyes closed, mumbling her answers so it was incoherent. "What?" John asked, leaning closer. "You have to speak up, Lils.."

Biting the side of her mouth, she ran her fingers through her hair, mumbling her answers again. Her eyes stayed down at the cover of the menu, avoiding making any eye contact with him; He was making this harder than it should've been. "Lillian please..."

"John..."

"Lillian! You don't think I can tell theres something wrong? Why can't you just tell me? You know I won't tell anyone, it'll stay between me and you." He grabbed her hand in his, refusing to let go when she tried to jerk away. "Lils, please," he begged again, keeping his voice low.

Placing her free hand on top of his, she let a tear fall down her cheek as she finally looked up at him, a small, faint smile on her lips. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, leaning into John's hand as he brushed off a tear with his thumb, "and I don't know how to tell Dave it might not be his."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ness tucked a stand of hair behind her ear as she sat up from the bed, blankets covering her bare form while she looked down at the body beside her, sound asleep. She smiled to herself while she traced the tattoo on his shoulder, planting small kisses along the side of his neck, trying not to wake up. Just to touch him made her happy, knowing he was hers...

"Ness?" Jeff whispered, speaking through the small crack of the door. "Are you in here?"

Scanning the room for something she could quickly throw on and call an outfit, she picked up Randy's dress shirt and her underwear, doing up the two buttons in the middle. "Hey Colours," she greeted him, opening the door wider but keeping their voices low. "What's up?"

He tried his best to not look down at her, or look behind her. Knowing Randy was in that bed made him sick, espically since he could hear them from the basement twenty mintues ago... "Oh, uh..." he blinked, trying to get back into focus of why he went up in the first place, "you said something about going downtown today, I was just wondering if you're ready."

Slipping through the crack of the door and shutting it behind her quietly, Ness escaped the room, keeping her hand on the door knob. "Give me a few minutes, I'll meet you in the kitchen," she told him with a smile. "Just let me throw some clothes on and we'll head out." Jeff nodded in agreement, going back down the stairs but stopped when he reached the bottom to turn back around. Looking at the top floor, he saw Ness still standing by Randy's door, as if she was contemplating if she should go in or not. He stayed at the bottom until he saw her take her hand off the handle and walked into her own room, her head down with her hair in front of her face. Quietly, Jeff sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to the kitchen, waiting on one of the chairs by the table.

By the time Ness finally made it to their meeting spot, she had her car keys in her hand and an unlit cigerette in her mouth. The plain black tee hugged her curves, stopping just before the top of jeans to show off a little skin. With flip flops on her feet, she took her sunglasses off of the top of her head and placed them on her face, tossing the keys at Jeff. "You'll have to drive," she informed him, leading the way out the front door. "My liscences is suspended for another five months."

They walked out to the garage, but Jeff stopped at the entrance, his eyebrows raising. "What one is yours?" he asked, scanning over the five cars that were there.

With a laugh, Ness stopped in front of the red convertable, stepping over the door to get in, "this one, duh," she told him with a smile. "Now hurry up before John and Lils come home, I have cookies to make."

Starting up the engine, Jeff backed out of the driveway slowly, making sure he didn't hit any of John's vintage cars on his way out. The convertable was a nice car, something that they both probably took care of; the last thing he wanted to do was put a scratch on it.

The roads were smooth in the area, making it easy to drive on. The music was loud, but he could still quietly hear Ness singing along with the song from the CD, a band he has only heard once or twice before. "Who is this?" he questioned, silently enjoying the grin she gave him.

"Massive Attack," she answered as a fact. "I thought you'd be into this kind of stuff. You seem odd enough to like it." He laughed with her, gently punching her on the arm.

When they came to a stop light, Jeff took his hands off the stearing wheel and stared at Ness. "I have no idea where I'm going."

"Go straight, at the very end of town," she told him, finally liting up her cigerette.

"By the river?"

Blowing the smoke from her lips, Ness turned and pursed her lips together as she inhailed more of the nicotine. "That's exactly where we're going."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jeff pulled into the parking space expertly, turning off the engine and looked at Ness, waiting for her next direction. When she unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped over the door of the car, she flicked the dead cigerette butt to the ground and pulled a fresh one out from the pack, liting it up. "You're supposed to follow me now," she told him, turning her back against him and started to walk off. Jeff shook his head as he started to follow her, trying to walk as fast as he can to catch up with her.

"You'll have to slow down a bit," he called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Some of us have nagging knee injuries that keep us from being speedy."

"We'll Mr. Hardy, I'm sorry to hear that," she called back, stopping at a tree where she tapped the ashes off of her cigerette. "But if you lose me, just follow the sound, and you'll find me. I won't be that far ahead." Smiling to himself, Jeff picked up the pace to get caught up with the brunette, who was walking expertly through the tracks. He crept up behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder and stopped at the view in front of him, staring at the waterfall that was crashing to the river below. "Wow," he whispered, taken aback from it's beauty.

Ness looked up at the larger man through her sunglasses, putting out her cigerette with her sandal, "we're not done," she told him, returning the gentle punch from earlier. "Keep following me." She held out her hand, waiting for him to accept it. His green eyes stared down at it, so delicate and neatly groomed, definitly a girl that makes sure she gets her weekly manicure. Relectuntly, he placed his hand in hers, slowly linking their fingers together. "You can trust me," she told him, leading the way to their destination.

Jeff stayed behind her while she lead him up the rocks, watching as she knew exactly what ones were lose and what ones were stable. It was obvious she had been here many times before, and he was confused as to why she would bring him...the spot seemed so secret. The waterfall got closer and closer to them, so close that when they reached the middle, Ness let go of his hand and touched the water that was falling, grinning quietly to herself. "I love it up here," she confessed, moving around a tree and away from him. "We're almost there," she called back, twisting around another tree and leaving his sight.

Following her the best he could, he watched as she moved between two trees and stopped to move a rock that was much larger than her, pushing it to the side like it weighed nothing. "Come here," she said, the smile never leaving her face. Jeff continued to follow her, moving in between the small space the rock hid, realizing they were on a ledge made of complete stone behind the waterfall. "This is my most favourite spot, ever," she told him, sitting down and placing her back to the stoned wall, her legs streatched out. "I just come here and think, watch the sunrise, watch the sunset..."

"It's beautiful," he agreed, sitting down next to her. He studied her while she took off the sunglasses and placed them on top of her head, showing her eyes and how content they were with how she was at that very moment. She stared off onto the horizon, sighing happily to herself. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on top of them, turning her head to look at Jeff. "I really do like it up here," she said. "It just seems so..."

"Peaceful," he finished her sentence, staring at the same location she was. They both leaned back against the wall, watching the water fall in front of them. It was a moment Jeff knew he wouldn't forget, and a spot he would have to come back to, with or without Ness. Taking his focus off of the water, he turned and looked at her, taking in her dark skin and matching dark hair. The way her stomach hung out a little bit over her jeans and her perfectly painted toe nails... the small tattoo on the inside of her left wrist that simply read _John_.

"I've seen you before, I know I have," Jeff said out loud, making Ness break her focus as well. "And it's driving me crazy because I can't remember from where."

"You didn't seem like the type," Ness told him with a wink, streatching her legs back out. "Randy, yes. Adam, most definitly. Even Dave. But you...I didn't think you would be like them." With a sigh, she turned to him, leaning sideways on the stoned way, biting her lip as she tried to figure out where to began. "Well, first off, the Cena family adopted me when I was eleven, that's why I don't look like them." Jeff eye's widend, waiting for her to continue, "and the only brother that took me as a part of the family was John. I'm not close with Matt, Dan, Boog or Sean at all. But John was always there when I got made fun of for being a 'buy a baby'. He was the only member, other than Mom and Dad that really watched over me and invited me along to parties and whatnot. When high school came, I was always compared to him, because I was his little sister. Everything related to him because he was Mr. America, you know? Football, track, straight A's, got along with everyone, always went to class, and it was a ton of pressure on me. So, I was the complete opposite. Never went to class, always partied out of West Newberry, I didn't do any athletics except sleep with the football team, and that kinda became my reputation...the girl that put out."

Ness tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down, "I can't believe I'm telling you this," she whispered, slightly chuckling to herself.

Jeff reached out and took her hand in his, brushing his thumbs over her knuckles, "you can trust me," he assured her, giving her a smile of his own.

"I guess I acted that way because of the whole adoption thing, because I knew I wasn't really apart of the family, so I didn't have to act like them. But with Mom, Dad and John, it didn't matter because they were always there, and I still acted out, like I didn't want them to love me...and I didn't. I went through most of my life not being loved by someone, I just grew accoustimed to it, but they wouldn't stop. It didn't matter what rumors were going around town about me, or how bad my grades were, or how many pregnancy tests I had to take, they held my hand the entire time..." she stopped to take a breath, but kept her eyes focused on the ground, "and then they got divorced. Sean, Matt, Dan and Boog blamed me, because I was the last addition to the family, because I was the only girl, because I was the one that was constantly screwing up everything, and all it did was piss off John because I wasn't the reason. Mom and Dad were fighting before they adopted me. Boys will be boys though, so they blamed me anyways, which caused John to move to California, and I tagged along with him because I couldn't stand West Newberry anymore. I'm not a small town girl, and that town was so conservative and proper, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Moving out west was great because no one knew who I was, so I could start all over...but I went down the same path. Once John and I moved into our apartment, he's the one that got the job, and I was the one that hung out at the beach all the time, partying, drinking, doing drugs. It started small, only majaruna every now and then, but then it gets harder, you know? People start offering you coke and herione, and it's easy to turn down at first, which is what I did, but then I got discovered."

"Discovered?" Jeff asked, slowly putting the pieces together.

"While on the beach, this man apporached me and asked if I ever considered modeling, which I hadn't because I was never told I was pretty except by Mom and Dad. So, he gives me his card and whatever, and I take it home to John and ask him for advice. He said I should do it because A) I wouldn't be bumming around the beach all the time, and B) I'd be making money, so he wouldn't be the sole income. I gave the guy a call, and he tells me to bring my bathing suits with me to the beach the next day, and don't worry about anything else because it'll all be there, and it was: hair, make up, food, drinks, props. It made me feel pretty because all the attention was on me, and I wanted more of it. So I modeled more, and if they didn't want me, I made them want me by modeling for their competition, and as my face got known, people started to wonder who I was. John convinced me to go by a stage name because the modeling I was doing...wasn't exactly approved by the family, so I dropped the Cena name..."

"And became Brooke Summers," Jeff finished off for her, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah," Ness admitted. "As I continued to model, the shoots started to contain less and less clothes, and then I started doing nudes, so I posed for Playboy, and Hustler, and Penthouse, and every other big name out there, then the money started coming in. Someone in the industry convinced me to do a movie, and I of course agreed to it for the money...and it turned out to be a porno. I wasn't that comfortable with it at first, even though like...I've had sex before, but with the camera's and people watching, it was kind of embarassing. They paired me with this guy named Darion Rey, who was like...this huge hunk of man meat that was very well known, and he hand picked me to do this movie with him, so that got my name even more known. I dated him for a bit, but it was nothing more than sex between us because that's all we had in common, and it was all we knew about each other. That went on for about a year before he broke up with me, and it was all over the news, and then my name became bigger, because now I was known as his ex girlfriend, and everyone wanted to do movies with me. The more movies I did, the more my name became known, the more money I got...I had to waste it. John warned me about my spending habbits because I was buying a lot of things that I couldn't afford; Bently's, Chanel purses, Blahnik shoes that went for four thousand a pair, and drugs. Darion really got me into cocaine, we'd do a line before a scene, after a scene, during breaks, go to our trailors and have this mind blowing sex while we were out of our minds, and John was really starting to get concerned because he was just starting out on the road with WWE so I was by myself in our apartment. Then I started showing up on set late because I'd be out the night before, come all strung out in no condition to preform. My name was starting to get a bad rep with it, because I was no longer the small town, girl next door type. I was the the out of control, coke induced porn star, and Brooke Summers became the biggest Diva in the porn industry because I was high all the time. My bank account was shrinking, but I was doing more and more drugs because one drug would give a better high than the other. I had no idea I was being like this because no one was telling me, no one wanted to piss off the star, I was just reading about it in the magazines. It wasn't until Darion actually came over to my apartment, which was absolutely disgusting because no one was cleaning it, and plates were smashed, a lot of guys would come over because they knew I would sleep with them. But when Darion came, he took me out to lunch when I was hungover to my knees, and he told me what everyone was saying, how I was becoming difficult to deal with, my attitude was too high matience, and no one wanted to work with me. I didn't believe him because I thought he was just trying to ruin my career, even though I was clearly doing a good job by ruining it myself. It made sense to me that he would wreck it, because he was the one that really made Brooke Summers who she was by putting me over in interviews and making sure the camera angels would make me look good. He was the least selffish person in the industry and that's why so many women want to work with him, because he does his best to make them look good, and by doing that he knows it makes himself look good."

She finally took a breath and looked up at Jeff, her brown eyes looking far too innocent for the story she was describing. "He called John and told him what I was doing to myself. I couldn't even get out of bed in the morning without doing a line and breakfast would contain of an ecstasy

pill chased with a shot of tequila. I didn't take it as a sign that when people stopped calling me that my career was going downhill, I just thought it ment we were just taking long breaks in between. But then the big television compaines started calling me and asking me to do reality shows about my life, shit like the Surreal Life and E! True Hollywood Story. I didn't do any of them, because those were only for washed up celebrities, and it didn't occur to me that I was one. By the time I was 24, I was already a has been. I tried to turn to Mom and Dad, but they didn't want to talk to me, and no way was I going to call the other brothers because I was never apart of their family in the first place, so I called John and told him I needed help...and he jumped on the first plane to California to help me."

Jeff reached out and wrapped her in his arms, giving her a hug which she gladly accepted. He knew what she was talking about, from being on top of the world to crashing down in what seems like seconds. His battle with drugs wasn't as well documented as hers, but the fans still knew about it and some won't let him forget it. "I know what you're talking about," he mumbled, pulling away from her to continue. "I've been clean for 550 days and everyday it's a struggle. The pain killers I took for my knees and for my back made me feel so good, but even when they weren't hurting I still took the pills. It's a tough road, but with the right people, it can be a breeze." He gave her a smile, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, making it a sympathetic gesture but at the same time, being able to touch her hair just because. It was softer than he thought it would be, espically since he knew she had dyed her hair numerous times from her movies. "Do you have the right people?" he asked with a wink.

"Well," she said with a smile of her own, "I have John, Randy, Lillian...and you. So yeah...I think I have the right people."

He threw his arm around her shoulders, letting her lean against his side while he held her, watching as the sun in front of them slowly began to set. It was beautiful and knew it was something that could only be shared between the two of them, and he silently prayed it wouldn't be the last sunset they see together. "Randy really helped me," she told him, toying with the hole in his jeans. "He was the first person that wasn't John that visited me in rehab, even though we only met twice before that. He's always been there, which is great. I'm starting to feel like me again, like I did around Darion before the drugs... and it only took...two years?" she said with a chuckle.

"Why Randy?" Jeff asked. Ness gave him a confused look, almost offended by the question. "No offense, it's just..."

Ness gave a small smile before she answered, "he makes me feel pretty. I know he has sex with other girls on the road," she cut him off, before he could say another word. "I can't always be there for him, thats the bump in our relationship. It doesn't bother me," she said, shaking her head. "I'm the one he comes home to, and the one he loves, that's what matters."

"You seem so different around him," he mentioned, playing with the stones on the ground. "More..."

"Seductive?" she answered with a laugh. "He brings that out in me. I've tried to bring him up here to watch the sun rise with me...but we haven't made it past the parking lot...this isn't really his style anyways, being outdoors and ejoying the scenery." She bit her lips as she looked out to the waterfall, not noticing her hand brushing past his while she played with the lose stones on the ground, thinking... "we should get going, or they'll think something is going on between us," she told him with a wink.

They both stood up, joining hands again so they wouldn't lose each other through the trail. Ness lead the way, making sure she stepped on the right stones and went at a pace Jeff wouldn't bug her for going to fast. He enjoyed how their hands fit so perfectly together, their fingers intwined for a better hold as they made their way through the trees. Her hands were so soft...

"What are you getting Randy for his birthday next week?" Jeff asked once they reached the car. He took the keys out of his pocket and started the engine, making sure she had her seatbelt done up before he started driving.

With a shrug, Ness put her sunglasses back on. "I don't know...probably something that would be for me and him...why? What did you have in mind?" He pulled out of the parking lot with ease and started to drive down the gravel road slowly, trying to savor the moment with her. He couldn't believe he what he was going to ask her, but he knew it was something they could both benefit from: "Could I sketch you?"

She squirmed in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. "I don't know," she answered quietly, turning down the music. "It's been so long, I'm out of shape, there isn't a lot of time to prepare, I don't know how he would react..."

"Ness," Jeff assured, cutting her off. "I've done this before. I did it for Maria for Carlito's birthday, I did for Melina for Nitro's, Lillian before her and Dave seperated...they all turned out fine. The guys even complimented me on them."

"I...I don't know," she stammered, running her fingers through her hair. "Can I think about it?"

Jeff nodded his head, "sure," he answered.

The rest of the car ride was silent as Ness thought about his proposal.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sitting on the chairs out on the back deck, Lillian leaned her head on John's shoulder, linking her arm through his as they watched the smoke steam off from the barbeque. "Thank you," she mumbled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I thought I was going to have to go through this alone."

"Lils," John sighed, bringing her closer to him, "you'll never go through anything alone. I promise." He stuck out his pinky, hooking it through Lillian's, "I pinky swear."

"Hey, have you guys seen Ness?" Randy asked, peaking his head out the door. "She was here this morning, then she left without saying goodbye. The convertable is gone, she didn't tell me where she was going, and Hardy is gone too...are they together?" John gave Lillian a kiss on top of her head before he stood up and walked back into the house, dragging Randy into the kitchen with him.

"I told you, you could stay here as long as you stay away from her," John said through clenched teeth, pushing Randy so he was backed up against the closest wall. "You want to explain why no one was able to sleep last night while she just happened to be in your room?"

Randy choked back a smirk, doing his best to not boast about what he and Ness had done. "Look, I'm sorry," he began, trying his best to be as serious as possible. "But I love her, you know that. She's been clean for five months now and two of those months are without us. She's fine, John. You don't need to be breathing down her neck anymore." He shoved John back, giving himself space to move, "I treat her with nothing but respect, you know this man! Why can't you just trust me?"

John looked down, his hands on his hips while he let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, chewing the inside of his lip. "It's just..."

"John," Randy cut his friend off, hand on his shoulder. "I love her."

"Baby!" Ness squealed, jumping on Randy's back as her and Jeff returned home. "We could smell the food from out front, what are you cooking?"

"He isn't cooking anything," John answered, taking Ness off of his back. "It's all me. Come have steak." Jeff traveled behind John as they went back out to the deck to join Lillian while Randy and Ness stayed back, sneaking off into the living room.

"Randy," she moaned, trying to pull away from him while his lips kissed her neck. "We should have dinner first..."

"I missed you," he mumbled, his hands finding their place on her lower back. "You scared me when there wasn't a note saying where you went to...I was kinda suspicious since John's laundry is still down stairs..."

She trailed her hands up his shirt, tracing her nails along his stomach muscles and every other rip she could feel. "We just went to the waterfall," she told him, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "The sunset was goregeous...I wish you could've seen it." She giggled while their hands fumbled with each others, each of them blocking the others from going where they wanted. "And I wish you'd behave yourself," she whispered, standing on her tip toes to give him a kiss.

In a quick motion, Randy picked her up from the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist. He nuzzled her neck jokingly as he walked up the stairs with her still attached to him, leading the way to his room. Her giggles were quiet, only for him to hear, as he opened the door and allowed themselves to enter while he closed it behind him with his foot.

"Guys?" Jeff called into the house, searching for them in the kitchen. "Ness, Randy! Dinner is ready!" His southern drawl echoed in the empty house as he continued his search, looking downstairs and finally in the living room. With a sigh, he turned the corner to go upstairs, but hearing a squeal coming from Randy's room stopped him in his tracks, causing him to go back downstairs and back out onto the deck.

If she wasn't with him, then she was with Randy...and a little jealousy settled at the bottom of his stomach.

LegendSpeaking: So...I can't help but notice the lack of reviews...and I know this story is getting hits...

I hope this chapter sort of explains the mindset of the characters. But, the only way I know that is if you review, so...get to it ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

John and Lillian sat at the patio table, quietly eating their dinner when Jeff returned, hands inside his pockets and shoulders slumped forward. "They'll be here in a minute," he mumbled, taking a seat next to John and taking a piece of steak. Lillian raised her eyebrows at John, trying to hide the smile that was slowly creeping on her face. The three of them knew what the couple was doing, but from the looks of the males faces, she was the only one that found it funny. To avoid eye contact with them, she kept her eyes focused on her plate, and looking down at her stomach every once and a while.

"It's been fifteen minutes," John mumbled, throwing his napkin down on his plate. "Lils, go get them."

"Screw you, I'm not doing it!" She said with a laugh, pushing back her chair so she could lean back. "They haven't seen each other in a while, John..."

"They've seen enough of each other. I'll get her so she can eat dinner." John stood up from his spot and took his plate with him, storming into the house and placing his plate on the counter. Jeff sighed as John slammed the patio door shut, placing his head in his hands and elbows on the table. He mumbled something to himself before he left as well; Lillian saw him go downstairs.

Rolling her eyes and getting up herself, she entered the house with the plates from outside, leaning against the counter while a wave of nausea hit her. The dizziness was a quick hit that went away in moments, as was the nausea, but it wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder did she feel any of it go away. "Are you OK?" John's deep voice asked her, placing a hand on her stomach.

"I'm fine," she shrugged him off, smacking his hand away. "Don't make it so noticable," she mumbled while she began to wash the plates.

"You shouldn't be doing dishes," he warned her, taking a plate away from her.

"I said I'm fine." She snatched the plate away from him, not realizing her grip wasn't strong enough and it slipped out of her hand, the glass smashing onto the floor. "I'll clean it," she said instantly, getting down on her hands and knees to pick up the big pieces. John went down to her level, stopping her from going any further. "Go lay down," he whispered, brushing a tear off of her cheek, "I got this."

Randy held Ness' hand as they walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where they heard the crash, "is everything cool?" Ness asked, kneeling to the ground to pick up the pieces.

"Randy, can you take Lils? I think she needs to lay down," John asked, helping her up and making sure she got over to Randy without stepping on the glass. "Ness and I can clean this up." Ness turned as she watched her boyfriend and best friend head out of the kitchen, returning the wink he gave her when he turned back around for a quick second.

John stood up and grabbed a plastic bag from one of the drawers and began picking up the biggest pieces he could find and put them in the bag, sitting on the ground with Ness in silence. He saw she had that smile on her face, the trademark smile that she had a secret of some sort and was about to explode if she couldn't tell someone soon. It wasn't always a secret though...sometimes it was just happiness, which made him glad. He had been a while since he last saw her smile like that.

"What's your secret?" he asked, putting the bag on the counter when he saw she wasn't even picking anything up, but just sitting on the ground with that grin.

"Maybe I don't have one," she replied, standing up and ignoring the mess on the floor. "Maybe I'm just on a natural high."

Her older brother gave a laugh, watching as she took out a giant bowl and a bag of flour. "I'd be on a natural high too if I was having as much sex as you are," he told her, half jokingly, half disapproving.

Ness shot him a look as she grabbed the baking soda out of the fridge and placed it on the counter, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "that's not what the high is from,' she mumbled, grabbing the sugar from the very top cupboard. "And it's not like that with Randy and I, so whatever idea you had in your head can leave. It's far from that...we talk too, you know. He tells me the stories about what you guys do on the road, and what happendes. There's a connection." She huffed as she threw two sticks of butter onto the counter and turned to look at John, arms folded across one of Randy's dress shirts and a pair of shorts that you could hardly see.

"Sis, come on," John said with a smile, walking over to her and trying to avoid the glass on the floor. "I was just joking around. Seriously," he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, "come outside, we'll talk."

"I don't want to get glass in my feet," she told him, staying in her spot while she mixed the butter and flour together. With a sigh, his arms went around her waist, and he picked her up, taking her outside where it was dark and quiet, their favourite time of the day. "You're a loser," she said with a sigh, sitting in one of the patio chairs with her knees tucked underneth her.

John grinned as he laid back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table in a relaxed manner. "How's it going, Ness?" he asked, finally feeling calm.

"It's going good," she said with a small smile. "I took Jeff to the waterfall today." John raised his eyebrows, surprised that his sister would take someone else (other than him) to her secluded spot. "We had a good talk. I think he'll be a good person in my life right now..."

"Ness..."

"John, just listen," she cut him, trying not to grow frustrated with his tone, "I need someone like that. You don't know what I went through, Randy doesn't, Lillian sure as hell doesn't, but Jeff does. He was down the exact same path I was, and he's doing fine now because he has the right people around him. I need him right now, John. When I'm around him, things are different... I see my future more positive when he's around because he has that success story of overcoming his habit. When Jeff is around..." she stopped and let out a sigh, trying to think of the right word to describe what she was thinking..."when he's around, it feels real...and I don't get that feeling around Randy."

He raised his eyebrows again, not moving from his relaxed position. "What does it feel like with Randy?" he questioned, his voice low when he saw him standing at the kitchen window.

She shrugged her shoulders with a sigh and closed her eyes. She knew exactly what it felt when she was around Randy, her brother's best friend, and her boyfriend of the last nine months...she just didn't want to openly admit what it felt like. While she squirmed in her seat to avoid answering the question, she finally gave up, "it feels like I'm not good enough for him," she told him openly, not wanting to see the expression on his face.

"What do you mean?" John asked. "You guys are so happy around each other, and you just said you have a connection..."

"He sleeps with other girls, John. I know he does, because Lillian tells me, and she knows because Randy tells everyone. It just makes me feel like, I'm just another one of those girls. He has Abby in Wisconsin, Isabelle in California, Isis in Oklahoma...I just feel like I'm Ness in Colorado. And I get so defensive when people talk of him and his ways like that, like...I don't want to admit it's true. Jeff was asking me today why I was dating him, and I told him it's because he makes me feel like I did when I was with Darion," she stopped to look at John, not surprised with the expression on his face, "_without_ the drugs," she finished. "I like feeling like that too, but Jeff...he just brings out a different side of me I guess, like...my good side, and Randy brings out my bad side.."

"Your Brooke side?" he questioned, his voice hardly above a whisper. He saw her glance over to the window, seeing Randy watching them, still.

Ness let out another sigh, she could feel a lump forming in her throat, wanting to cry. "I try to keep it private, you know?" she asked with her eyes closed and looking down. "But Randy...it's all he wants to do. He doesn't like having sex with Ness, he likes having it with Brooke...and I don't want to be her anymore." When a tear landed on her bare leg, John reached out and held her hand, bringing her attention to him.

"You need to tell him these things, Nessie," he matched her whispering voice, using his old kid name for her. "It's been nine months with you two, and you haven't told him how you feel?"

"I don't want to ruin the fantasy for him," she said. "If that's who he wants to sleep with..."

"Ness," John cut her off, cupping her face in his hand, "you need to tell him these things."

She brushed the tears away on her own and stood up from her chair, watching as John did the same. When they were both standing, her arms went around her neck in a hug, needing to feel the warmth of someone else of that moment. "I'd be lost without you," she told him, holding on.

From his spot by the window, Randy watched and wondered why she was crying. It was a scenerio he didn't like seeing, one he definitly wanted to avoid, but when she walked back into the house, she completely ignored him and went downstairs. Following her, he grabbed her by the wrist when she was almost at the bottom of the stairs, getting her attention instantly. "Randy, please," she said quietly, freeing herself from her grip.

"Come upstairs with me." Ness looked at him, only dressed in his boxers and standing two steps up from where she was, it was an intimidating position, but she resisted the urge to slap him.

"I want to talk to Jeff," she told him, continuing her way down the stairs.

He kept following her down, stopping her again by jumping in front of her when there were four steps left. "I miss you when you're not with me," he tried to convince her, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes looked down at him and over the railing where she could see Jeff, quietly lounging on the couch with his acoustic guitar in hand, gently strumming the strings. She couldn't tell if he was paying attention to what was happening behind him, but she definitly knew he could hear it...Randy had a habit of not being able to whisper well.

"Please move," she requested, trying to get by him on the stairs.

"Hey man," Jeff called from the couch, looking over his shoulder, "let her come down. She'll be back in time for her curfew," he joked, his southern accent obvious when he spoke. Giving her boyfriend a pleading look, he stepped out of her way, gently grabbing her hand before she continued her way down the stairs.

"Ten minutes?" he asked, holding their hands close to his lips, gently kissing the top of her hand. Taking it away from his grip, she ignored him while she reached the bottom floor, instantly sitting on the couch next to Jeff, not caring if Randy was still watching.

"Hey," he whispered, continuing to play his guitar, "you doing OK?" When she didn't respond, he stopped his playing and put his guitar next to the side of the couch, giving her his attention. "What's wrong?"

She tried to stop the tears from forming, but when Jeff stretched his arms out for a hug, she couldn't help but sob into his shoulder, letting all her emotions go. Her hands clung onto the back of his shirt, not wanting to let go anytime soon. He tried to soothe her the best he could, but he knew what she needed right now, because he needed it when he went through the same thing.

She just needed someone that could relate.

"Ness, it's OK babe," he continued to tell her, hugging her until she was willing to let go. "Let it out."

Pulling back, she wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt, staring down at her lap. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just got talking to John and I told him.."

"You don't need an excuse to cry," he said with a shrug, letting her lay on his side. "It feels good to let it all go sometimes."

She gave him a smile, wiping her tears away again with her sleeve. "Randy doesn't like it when I cry," she admitted. "He says it makes me look weak."

Jeff sighed at her confession, wanting to run upstairs and pound the living hell out of him. But instead he kept quiet and stroked the back of Ness's head while her tears finally stopped and she eventually fell asleep in his lap. He didn't care that she was with him, hell, he kind of enjoyed it. It didn't even bother him that he couldn't reach his cell phone when he knew Candice was calling him, the ringtone of Boyz 2 Men's I'll Make Love To You was up far louder than it should've been. But as long as Ness didn't stir, he didn't have a problem with missing her phone call.

When it got later in the night, he gently lifted her off the couch and went to the bedroom that was downstairs, a room he knew of but never bothered to sleep in since he was more of a couch guy. He placed her under the covers making sure she was covered so she wouldn't wake up cold, and just when he was about to leave, his name escaped her lips, causing him to turn around. "Stay with me," she moaned, her eyes half open. "Hold me...Randy never holds me..."

Hesitating, he turned the light off in the room and closed the door gently behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Lillian shuffled down the stairs as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake up anyone so early in the morning. She could hear Ness and Randy arguing the night before, her and John watched the fight quietly from the top of the stairs, and it broke her heart to see Randy so controlling. John was right, Ness and Randy had been seeing a lot of each other lately...she kind of regretted sticking up for the couple last night at dinner.

Seeing Jeff outside, sitting on the ground with his guitar and leaning against the side of the house, she invited herself out on the deck and took a spot next to him. "Hey," she greeted, gently elbowing him to get his attention.

"Hey Lils," he responded, kissing her on the forehead. "How's things?"

She bit her lip. _ Well, I'm in the middle of a divorce to someone who I thought loved me. I might be pregnant with his child, but the father might be someone else, and...oh yeah...Vince freaked out on me when I told him I couldn't make the Diva shoot next week because I'm pregnant. _"Things are good," she lied. "This is a nice break from everything. Is Candice almost done the final touches for the wedding?"

Jeff moved around, trying to get to his cellphone that was in his back pocket of his jeans. "As of 5:13 this morning...she just has to pick up her dress and talk to the flower person, and then she's my bride," he told her, showing her the text messege. "Are you still singing when we have our first dance?"

"Of course, you know you don't need to confirm it. Jeff, I'm honored that you asked me to sing for your first dance." She placed a hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze..."have you been working out?" she asked jokingly, giving him a smile.

He chuckled back, his hair covering his face. "Maybe," he answered, dropping his voice a few octaves lower. "Really though Lillian, it means a lot that you're going to be singing. That was the only thing I was allowed to have control of for the wedding."

"Really? She's being a bridezilla! Jeff, you can't let her make every descison..."

"I got to pick who's in my party," he defeneded himself. "Matt, John, and Randy. And she has Maria, Michelle, and Kelly. I really love her, Lillian," he confessed, his voice getting quietter as he continued to talk. "I just wish...everyone would stop taking cheap jabs at her because she was a Diva Search girl."

"What people say shouldn't matter when your in love," she whispered, her eyes going to the river that was off in the distance. "Look at Ness and Randy. She has that history, and he's not loyal...but they're so happy together...most of the times."

"You heard them last night too?" Jeff asked putting his guitar down on the ground. "They tried to be quiet, but he just wouldn't leave her alone. When she did finally come down stairs..." he sighed and gave his entire attention to Lillian, "she cried, man. She cried herself to sleep. I put her in the bed that's down there because I haven't been sleeping there...Lilis, he doesn't hold her."

"What do you mean?" she asked, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. "When they're together...Jeff, you know what they're doing..."

"She told me that Randy doesn't hold her, and she asked me if I would."

"Did you?"

He sighed before he answered, his head bowed as he looked down at his hands, "yeah," he whispered. "I felt bad for her, and she was so...so distraught. Lillian, I had to, she asked me. I crawled into the bed, stayed fully clothed you know, and I just put my arms around her, and she snuggled right in. She fit me perfectly..."

She reached out and touched his hair, playing with the colourful strands between her fingers, "that was nice of you," she told him, cupping his face in her hand. "But what about if Randy finds out? He's protective over her, he doesn't like it when she's with other guys that aren't John.."

"I know, he's been giving me looks lately," he admitted. "It was so sad though, Lils..."

"Lillian! Today you and I...shopping!" Ness came out onto the deck, already dressed in a short black skirt and a shirt, reading _The Bouncing Souls_. "We need a girls day, and today is it. Report to the pink Batmobile in thrity, ok?" She smiled at Lillian, seeing Jeff sitting next to her. "Hey Fruit Loops," she said with a wave. "Lilly, thirty minutes, Batmobile." She gave Jeff a wink before she headed inside.

When they were sure she was out of ear shot and the door was completely closed, Jeff looked at Lillian, almost like he was ready to give up. "She's so cheerful," he commented. "Like last night never happended."

"Maybe in her mind it didn't," Lillian suggested, standing up from her spot on the ground. "She usually blocks things out of her mind if she doesn't like what happended. When she told you about what she was like a few years ago, trust me...that took guts, because she didn't even tell me. I had to find out from John." She held onto Jeff's hand, helping him stand up. "She trusts you, Jeff. That's saying a lot."

Together, they walked back into the kitchen, seeing Ness and Randy together by the counter. He was standing in front of her while she sat on the counter with a bowl of raw dough in her arms, while his arms around her waist and his face nuzzling her neck while she was obviously trying to concentrate on the chocolate chip cookies from the night before. Lillian cleared her throat, but it didn't stop Randy from touching Ness, his hands traveling over her stomach and sitting gently on her hips.

"Help me," she said jokingly, placing a kiss on his lips. "Babe, I'm going shopping, leave me alone," she told Randy, placing her stirring spoon in front of him and putting raw cooking dough on his nose. Jeff saw the playful look in her eyes as she kissed Randy, her arms wrapping around his neck to be closer to him. Lillian rolled her eyes at Jeff, "see? She blocked it out."

Randy gave her a quick peck before he left and ran up the stairs; the three that were in the kitchen could hear the shower water running moments after. "Ready for shopping?" Ness asked Lillian, placing a spoonfull of cookie dough onto a oven pan.

"Always am." She faked a smile, knowing it would make Ness feel better. Lillian left as well, going to her guest room to change.

"So," Jeff said, taking a spoon himself to help with the cookies. "You and Randy setteled everything?"

"I think so. He tried to help me with the cookies, but he ended up wearing most of it," she said with a laugh, looking up at the taller man. "You and Lil have a heart to heart?" she asked with a wink. "She's good at that. John says he has them a lot with her."

"You don't?"

Ness shrugged, taking some dough off the spoon and eating it. "She's a good friend, but I have John and Randy." When she looked up at Jeff, she gave him a small smile, noticing something that could change the conversation. "You have cookie dough on your face," she told him.

"Where?" He wiped the left side of his face with his hand, not knowing the mark was on the other side. Ness placed the bowl down beside her and brushed the mess off of his face with her thumb, grazing it across his skin to make sure it was all gone. Jeff swallowed when she touched him, feeling her smooth skin against his stubble. He stepped closer, standing between her legs while her hand stayed on his face. They were level since she was sitting on the counter, and he could actually feel her when she quivered, just from her hand being on him. She let out a breath, something he felt brush past his lips. Her hand was placed behind his neck, moving the hairs out of the way just so she can touch his bare skin. In the heat of the moment, Jeff tilted her chin up, his other hand going on her bare thigh, and together, they moved just that much closer to each other...

"Jeff! Where are you?" Instantly, they stopped touching each other, hearing that voice enter and the door slamming shut. "Come help me with my bags! Get Randy too, there's more than I thought..."

Hoping off of the counter, Ness and Jeff went to the main entrance. "Who are you?" Ness demanded, arms crossed against her chest, stopping in front of Jeff so he couldn't move further. "Why are you here? You have no bussiness..."

"Candice!" Gently moving Ness out of the way, Jeff embraced the mystery woman in his arms, hugging her tightly while kissing her. "Baby, I thought we weren't seeing each other until the wedding?"

"I thought I'd surprise you! Surprise!"

"Yeah, surprise. Lillian!" Ness stormed up the stairs, pushing the happy couple out of her way. Baringing into the guest room, Lillian screamed when she heard the door slam against the wall, quickly covering herself with her t-shirt.

"God damnit Ness, knock!" she whispered harshly, closing the door herself. "What's you problem?"

Fuming, the brunette closed the door, leaning against it for support. "Jeff...he sketched you?" she asked, her voice calming down.

"For mine and Dave's second wedding anniversery...it was my gift to him, why?"

"He offered to draw me for Randy's birthday next week," she confessed. "And now that Candice is here...I think I'm going to take him up on his offer."


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't get it," Lillian said, scanning through a t-shirt rack. "You're letting Jeff sketch you because Candice showed up? That doesn't even make sense.."

Ness came out of the dressing room, unsure of the short yellow dress she was trying on. "I think it makes sense," she mumbled, trying to make the dress shorter than it was. "Is he a good drawer? How did you pose?"

The blonde sat down on the closest chair, crossing her legs and leaning forward with a slight smile. "I was in a hotel room in the doorway of the bathroom," she began to explain. "And I like...leaned against the frame, but had my arm covering my chest..."

"Your chest? Weren't you wearing clothes?" Lillian raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. "That's what makes it so sexy, and Jeff will make you feel sexy too. He doesn't really focus on you being naked, he focuses on your surroundings..."

"Naked?!" Ness said, louder than she expected. "What do you mean, naked?"

Lillian laughed, standing up to do the strings up behind Ness's dress, "you aren't going to be wearing clothes. I didn't, Melina didn't, Maria didn't...I'm pretty sure Trish was naked...why does this bother you?"

Ness shifted uncomfortably on her feet, toying with the hem of the dress. She turned to Lillian, their eyes meeting instantly, and right away Lillian knew there was something wrong. "You know Randy," Ness said in a low voice, not wanting the onlookers to hear. "He gets jealous over the easiest things, like me spending all this time with Jeff lately. He hates it. But what I am supposed to do after he falls asleep? He knows I have insomina and the majority of the time, he doesn't even finish me."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," Ness continued with a sigh, going back in the dressing room. "To be honest Lils...the sex isn't even that good. Hand me the blue dress?"

Walking over to the dress rack, Lillian fingered the blue material, thinking of when she'd be able to wear those cute little dresses again. She needs materiny clothes, but there was no way she was going to pick those out with Ness around, it'd be to embarassing. Maybe John... "Lillian, what was it like with Dave?"

She picked up the blue dress from the rack, holding it up against herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "It was nice," she answered. "He was intense...powerful. Liked being in control, but he paid attention to my needs too. Dave..." she sighed, handing the dress over the dressing door, "he was a loving guy, you know? Never raised his voice, always told me where he was going if he was out with the guys. Things just...fell apart."

"Do you miss him?" the brunette walked out, her face scrunched up when she saw herself in the mirror.

"Everyday," Lillian whispered, her hand placed over her stomach. "I liked the yellow dress better," she said quickly to change the subject.

Ness nodded her head in agreement. "I do too. What dress would Randy like better? I'm wearing it when we take him out next week for his birthday..."

Lillian turned around so she could roll her eyes without her friend seeing, "probably the yellow one," she told her, trying to hide her sarcasim. The yellow dress was nicer, she made a mental note to herself. But to hear his name so often when it was supposed to be a girls day was giving her a headache. "Are you planning on buying anything else?"

"Duh, I need sexy underwear and sexy shoes to go with my sexy dress," Ness said, giving the dress to the sales woman. "It's his birthday and I want to make it one he won't forget," she admitted, a hand going to her back pocket to bring out a credit card. "Aren't you buying anything Miss. Newly Singled?"

With a laugh, the singer held up her left hand, showing off her wedding ring that was still on her finger. "When I'm ready to move on," she told Ness. "And I'm not quite ready yet."

Smiling, the brunette took the bag from the cashier and linked her arm through her friend's. "No worries, Lils," she assured her as they walked out the store. "We'll find you a man." Together, they left the store and began to randomly walk around the mall, window shopping and not talking much. Ness had that smirk on her face when they walked into Victoria's Secret, and right away, Lillian could sense something was up.

"Spill," she demanded, looking at her smaller friend. "What's on your mind?"

Holding up a yellow bra and laying it against her chest, Ness laughed to herself as she turned to look at Lillian. "Honestly?" she began, placing the bra back but still grinning, "what do you think Jeff would be like?"

Confusingly, the blonde absently handed a black nightie to Ness, "what would he be like..." she said, leaving the sentence unfinshed.

"In bed."

"Ness!"

"It's a question!" she laughed, taking the nightie away from her. "It's an innoncent question. Besides, with all the guys you hang around, it's not like you haven't fantasized about being with one of them."

_Just your brother._ "Actually, I haven't," she bit back, trying not to speak her mind. _And your boyfriend_. "They're all like my brothers. I've seen more of than I would like, but other than Dave, I've managed to keep my hands to myself, thanks." Except that one time in London... "But before you even think about it, don't ask Candice what Jeff is like."_ Carlito too.._.

Ness grew excited as that idea instantly went to the back of her mind. "How come?" She tried to hide her excitement, but while she was feeling the fabric of the green bra in front of her, she couldn't hold it in and broke out in a smile.

"You know how traditional he is. He wants to wait until they're married and save it for their wedding night."

Laughing out loud, the brunette went to the dressing room, quickly tossing her shirt on top of the door. "That's kind of funny. I can see him doing that, but Candice? She's probably cheating on him."

Lillian shifted uncomfortably in the chair she sat in to stop her dizziness. "Promise not to tell?" she asked Ness through the door, moving her chair closer.

Suddenly opening the dressing room door, dressed in the green bra and her skirt, "she cheats on him?" she whispered, keeping her voice low. "Seriously? Like, a lot?"

"I promised I wouldn't say anything," she swore, ignoring the look Ness was giving her. "But she does. A lot. Like, our photo shoot wasn't even supposed to be until next week and she leaves early because she promised Adam a quickie, but she told Jeff it was this week and next week she's planning the wedding..."

Ness smirked to herself, her hands in her skirt pockets while she leaned against the wall. "Adam?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. "Oh, Adam..."

Lillian rolled her eyes, closing the door on her friend. "I think he's coming out for Randy's birthday next week. A bunch of them are from the sounds of it. He is, Nitro, Maria, Punk..."

Knowing the door was closed, Ness took a seat on the small stool that was in the dressing room, needing to sit down. She knew it was a horrible though, and it made her stomach turn just thinking about it, but she couldn't help the thought crossing her mind...was Candice another one of Randy's girls?

Running her fingers through her hair quickly, she took the bra off and looked at her self in the mirror, topless. She sighed at the result, knowing her body wasn't what it used to be. Now she had curves, a body most women would want...she pinched her hips, holding the extra skin between her fingers and let out another sigh. Of course Candice was another one of Randy's girls...

"Ness, we should get going," she heard Lillian call out. "Are you buying that bra?" Seeing the bra flying over the door and landing at her feet, she let out a small laugh to herself. That was clearly a no.

It wasn't long before Ness was ready to go, keeping her thoughts to herself. There things she wanted to ask Lillian, surely she must know if Candice and Randy were ever together...someone had to know. Someone that wasn't Lillian, or Jeff...John? Maybe...

Lillian drove slowly up the drive way, stopping half way when she saw the garage door opened and could hear the music coming from the radio in the garage. The girls got out of the car, seeing Randy leaning against the smell desk John had built for his tools, his jeans covered in oil stains and shirtless. Ness waved to him, ignoring the elbow's Lillian was giving her. "How could it be bad with him?" she whispered, causing the two girls to giggle.

"Hey baby," Ness greeted him, shopping bags in hand while she gave him a kiss. "Where's John?"

Appearing from underneth the car on a trolly, John wiped his forehead off with a towel, grinning up at Lillian while she looked down at him. "Do I get a kiss too?"

While she rolled her eyes, Lillian left to go inside, not realizing John was closely behind her. "Lils, come upstairs," he said, grabbing her hand and making her follow him.

"John, slow down." She stopped on one of the steps near the bottom, holding onto the railing to catch her breath. "I'll meet you up there in a minute..."

He stepped down to where she was, his hand placed gently on her shoulder, "are you OK?" he whispered, guiding her up to the top, making sure he had a good hold around her waist. She still held onto the railing and held onto his arm even tighter when they entered her room. "OK, so, I was thinking..."

"Did it hurt?"

"Anyways!" John continued, walking over to where the dresser was. "I was thinking, if we put the cradle here, and then maybe the changing table over there..."

Lillian bit her bottom lip as she felt the tears well in her eyes and sniffled them back. "Maybe a light yellow for paint...unless you want to keep this colour?" John asked as he stood in the middle of the room. He turned to look at her, watching as she brushed a tear that was falling down her face. His eyes stayed on her while she walked over to him, her arms going around his neck and her lips to his cheek.

Slowly, they looked down at each other, and they both knew, that right there in the moment, they were going to fight this together...and she couldn't help but to bring her lips to his.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ness ran her hands up Randy's sweat drenched chest, placing kisses along his collar bone as he leaned back against the car he and John were working on earlier. "I swear, Orton," she whispered, her lips trailing up his neck.

He moaned in response, his hands resting comfortably on her lower back. "I'd hope so," he answered, his lips meeting hers. "Are you going to make me a cake?" She nodded her head while she pulled away from him, hooking her finger through one of his to bring him inside. "Chocolate cake?"

"Maybe..." she continued to lead him through the house with her finger, finally bringing him to his bedroom with her shopping bags in her other hand. "I bought you a shirt," she told him, taking it out and placing it in the top drawer of his dresser. She was startled when he quickly grabbed her arm, harshly, and spun her around, slamming the drawer shut.

"Not in that drawer," he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't ever look in that drawer."

Ness trembled from beneth his grip, slowly taking her arm away from his hold. Her eyes turned innocent while he stared down at her, scaring her and making her leave the room, in a search to find someone to talk to right away. She was ready to tell Randy that she was going to take him out to dinner tonight, to celebrate their togetherness, but now...she wasn't so sure.

She entered the kitchen, holding onto the arm that Randy had violently grabbed and made sure her hand covered the mark of his print. Seeing Jeff sitting at the table reading, she sat down immdietly beside him, her body quaking from holding back the tears. "Ness, what happened?" he asked gently, closing his book and giving her his full attention.

"It's Randy," she managed to say, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I...I just don't know about him anymore. But I love him, Jeff. I love him so much..." she didn't cry, but he held her anyways, stroking the back of her head like he had done the night before. "Jeff...what am I going to do about his birthday next week? All I have is the picture, and I feel like he deserves so much more..."

Slowly, he removed her hand from her arm, uncovering the mark Randy had left. He traced it with his finger, hardly touching it before she winced and pulled back away from him. When her hand went to cover it again, he stopped her, giving a silent sigh to himself. "Has he done this before?"

"I'm fine," Ness insisted. "He doesn't mean to grab me so hard, he just doesn't know his own strength sometimes."

Jeff reached out and touched her bare leg, his fingers gripping ever so gently on her knee, "if he does anything," he whispered, seeing Candice standing in the frame of the entrance, "don't be afraid to come to me." He stood up and held out his hand, helping her stand as well and gave her a quick hug while his fiancee looked away. "I mean it," he told Ness before he left the kitchen, stealing a cookie from the bowl on top of the fridge. "Good cookies too, by the way."

She smiled in return, seeing him give Candice a kiss before he went back downstairs.

The staring contest between Ness and Candice didn't seem like it was going to end until the taller brunette wrapped her white, satin housecoat around her tighter and moved towards the woman staring back at her. "It's been so long," she began. "How have you been?"

Ness jumped to get the cookies and stole one from the bowl, taking a bite of it while keeping her gaze on Candice. "These aren't my cookies," she told her, throwing it in the sink.

Candice laughed, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder, "oh yeah, I added a little something extra to give it some more bite. Isn't the cinnamon awesome?"

"Is this why you're here?" Ness asked her, challenging her by standing up straight to be almost the same height. "Where's your ring? Do you even love him? Do you even know what love is?"

"Sweetie, I wear it around my neck because it's closer to my heart this way. And of course I love Jeff and he shows me love every night," she seethed back, toying with the necklace around her neck.

Ness gave out a snort, rolling her eyes. "Are you sure it's Jeff and not someone else by any chance?"

"You mean like Randy?" Candice asked, giving herself a smirk. "I'm surprised you're still with him, really. How long has it been?"

The shorter woman swallowed, ignoring the turn in her stomach, "nine months," she answered, her hand going back to covering the mark on her arm.

Candice let out a snort, pushing Ness out of the way. "That's cute, really," she told her, giving her a reassuring nod. "You must know all about love being with Randy, don't you...Brooke?" She played with a strand of Ness's hair, tucking it behind her ear and twirling it around her finger. "That's real cute though, you telling me what love is...honey, you'll never expierence it, because no one wants to go out with trash like you. That's why when we're on the road and you're here doing...whatever it is you do, that's why Randy comes to me. It's why Randy goes to Christina in Missouri, and Elizabeth in Gerogia. Stupid girl," Candice said with a shake of her head, "you're just Ness in Colorado." She flicked the strand of hair off of her finger and traced her jawline with her nail, "you used to be so innoncent, so...pretty. What happended?"

Swallowing the lump that was in her throat, Ness simply pushed her way past Candice and made her way towards the stairs. Now she really needed someone to talk to...But John was with Lillian, Randy was angry, and Jeff was downstairs, likely playing his guitar and being happy. By herself, she walked to her room and climbed underneth the covers, a feeling she hasn't had in the last few nights. With the lights off and the door closed, she grabbed the closest pillow and hugged it, sobbing into the fabric.

Just the touches from Candice made Ness hate her. She didn't need to speak to her like she had, and she hated the fact that Candice was with Jeff instead of her.

And as soon as that thought crossed her mind, her heart broke. Picturing Candice cuddling close to Jeff in bed at night, and his smile when he sees her next to him in the morning made Ness want to rip the pillow apart.

Turning over to her side, still keeping the pillow close to her, she closed her eyes hoping for a nap...and a little jealousy settled at the pit of her stomach.

**LegendSpeaking: Thanks for the reviews guys, but how about we tone down the bashing of the characters and death threats, k?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Jeff left his bed slowly, carefully not to wake up Candice while he moved her arm off of his waist. He was sweating, he could feel his shirt sticking to his back and when he looked over to the clock on the night table, he sighed: it was only 3:26 in the morning.

Placing his feet on the hardwood floor, he left the room quietly and sat down on the couch in the next room, picking up his guitar and strummed it softly. Sitting on the table where he had his feet comfortably proped, he noticed a leather note book, neatly titled_ Wedding Plans _engraved on the gold plate on the front. Opening it, he saw the sketches for the bridesmaid dresses, the pictures of the beach they were getting married on, and the hall for the reception. Smiling, he flipped a picture over that had Candice smiling with a guy next to her, and read: _ the singer for our first dance_.

He scrunched his eyebrows together, remembering the conversation he had with Lillian. She was the singer, him and Candice had agreed on that...so why was this guy supposedly singing?

Taking the book with him upstairs, he stopped in the middle of the kitchen, seeing Ness out on the deck by herself, covered in a sweatshirt and jeans having a cigerette. She was leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees while she gently tapped he ashes off of her smoke into the ashtry to the side, thinking. Her hair looked stringy, as if she hadn't washed it in a while, and from expierence, he knew that far and away look she had on her face...

When he opened the door, she looked over at his direction, rubbing her eyes to hide any tears that might've been showing. "Hey," she sniffled, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "What are you doing awake?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he took a seat next to her on the ground, tempting to steal the cigerette from her, "I had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep," he answered, placing the leather note book in front of him. "And, I found this...turns out she's planning the whole wedding."

"As if she was going to let you have a say," Ness mumbled, blowing a perfect smoke ring. "She's a control freak..."

"Don't say that about her," Jeff defened, suddenly becoming offensive of his bride-to-be. "She probably just forgot we had Lillian singing...Candice get's caught up sometimes and makes descions of a whim."

Ness chuckled, putting out her cigerette and quickly lighting up another one. She didn't want to be the one to tell him what Candice was really like, back in her wild days when her and Candice were practically attached to the hip as struggling actresses until Darion came along, but she stopped herself...surely, Candice must've told him about that part of her life already. "Were you crying?" Jeff asked, seeing her bloodshot eyes. "Your eyes, they look...tired."

"Just this whole Randy thing," she quickly lied, giving a shrug in response. Jeff frowned when he saw her get the look in her brown eyes again, looking off into the distance while she absentmindly tapped her cigerette. "I just hope he really apperciates everything, you know? Like...I want to be the girl he ends up with because I'm so good to him...I meant it when I said I love him, because I know people doubt our relationship," she continued, not realizing she was going on a rant. "It's just...I don't want to tell him until he tells me."

His eyes widend as he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, turning her attention to him. "You haven't told him?" he asked. "You two have been together forever, and you've been through so much..."

"There's never anytime. I'm waiting for the right moment, and it never shows up. He has to say it first, so I know he feels the same."

"Ness, sometimes it doesn't work like that..."

She coughed and stubbed her half gone cigerette, already getting frustrated with the conversation. "Your fiancee called me trash!" she shouted, standing up and dusting herself off. "Your fiancee rubbed it in my face that Randy cheats on me, because she's still jealous that I got all the parts! I was in Playboy first, I was the Playmate first, and I was with Darion first! She hates me for all of that!" Ness could feel her body shake from the adrenaline that was going through her, not caring that Jeff had his head down and wasn't paying attention. "Your fiancee," she said quietly, looking down to where he was, "cheats on you with my boyfriend."

Finally, Jeff stood up, standing as close to her as he could. Looking down, he saw the tears welling in her eyes and her shoulders shaking, her bottom lip quivering which she tried to stop by sucking on it. He wanted to reach out and brush the tears that was falling down her cheek, hold her and assure her that someone is there for her when Randy couldn't be...but how could he after what she just said?

"Bull shit," he said, his voice calm. "Candice wouldn't do any of that, because she tells me that she loves me, every day and every night. Your lies are filthy."

"She doesn't love you!" Ness yelled, not caring who heard her. "She doesn't love you at all! Damnit Jeff, trust me on this. If she loved you, she would wear her ring on her finger where it's supposed to be.."

"It's closer to her heart on the neckla..."

"She stole that!" Ness yelled, not caring who heard her. "Jeff...she stole that from Sex and the City, we used to watch it all the time. Carrie did that when she was engaged to Aiden, because she wasn't sure if she wanted to marry him or not. Trust me," she finally whispered, hating what she was saying.

Blinking his eyes, Jeff turned the other way, going back into the house with the leather notebook and downstairs, finding Candice streatched out on the couch. Her purple corset was tight around her waist, pushing her breast up much higher than they should be. The matching purple g-string was low and her stockings were attached to the clips that hung off her corset. When she saw Jeff come down the stairs, she sat up a little, becokoning him over with her finger. "Come here, honey," she demanded, crawling towards him from the couch. "I missed you." She sat up on her knees, tracing his jawline and running her hand up his shirt. "I can't wait much longer," she told him, toying with the rim of his pajama pants. Her hand snaked its away down the front and grabbed him slowly, gently stroking him. "Just tonight?" she kissed his stomach, nipping at his flesh while she continued to work him, not noticing he wasn't responding.

When he backed away and left to the room, he went beneth the blankets, ignoring Candice's voice that was calling him back to the couch. He felt guilty for leaving her like that, but the voice in the back of his head almost had him convinced that what Ness said outside was true. Maybe Ness meant Candice was cheating on him before they got engaged, or when they were first seeing each other and it wasn't serious. Or maybe, she was just saying that to get his attention. Everything about the ring was false...she hated wearing rings, that's why it was on a necklace, and because, like she said, it was closer to her heart...

He felt her climb back into bed, he moved away from her when she tried to snuggle into him, wanting to be close to him and touch him. He turned to his side and ignored her. He ignored her nails caresssing his back through his shirt, and how she would reach around to try and arouse him more by touching him anywhere. Her lips against his shoulder and hot breath on his neck was disregarded while his eyes closed, which she saw and noted, "why aren't you talking to me?" she asked, her chin rested on top of his shoulder.

Jeff turned around, letting her fall on top of him and have her head rested on his chest, and he stroked the back of her hand gently...as if she were Ness. "You know I want to wait," he told her, staring at the ceiling. "It'll be more speical when it's our wedding night, and we can be together as husband and wife.."

She silenced him with a kiss, cutting him off. "I think just once..."

"Candy babe," he began, continuing to stroke her head, "...I love you." He gave her another kiss, returning the one from second earlier before he moved lower down the bed, placing his head on one of the pillows and letting her lay on his chest.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ness closed the door to Randy's room quietly, quickly taking off the sweatshirt and jeans that she had on and got into bed with him. She knew he was a light sleeper, and when she pressed her lips to his in a sudden movement, he woke up instantly, grinning when he saw her next to him. "Hey Nessa," he whispered, reaching out and bringing her close to him again. His hand alone almost covered her lower back completely, his strength making her lay on him on top of the covers, her lips covering his collarbone again like they had done earlier that day in the garage, and her body moving on top of the blankets, rubbing against him.

"Randy," she whispered, pulling the blankets off of him and taking off his boxers, "I need you now."

Grinning, his fingers unhooked her bra and slid off her panties, tossing them off to the side where they would remain until morning. His arms went around her waist while he kissed her neck, sucking and biting her flesh to claim his mark. She pushed him away, making him sit up against the headboard, and slowly, she sat on top of him and groaned, savouring the moment. Her hands were on his shoulders when she started to move, working against him the hardest she could while he tried to keep up with her, his body moving as fast as it could. The cocky smirk that he was known for came across his face when she reached for the headboard, giving her more leverage for her movements while he continued to his biting, moving it across her neck and down to her chest, grabbing her bust and massaging them with his hands. Her head was thrown back with a moan, his name barely escaping her lips in a whisper as he continued to move his hands, feeling himself beginning to throb inside of her.

He watched while she flung her hair so it went in front of her face, watching as she closed her eyes in anticiaption. Her curses were hardly audiable when he moved his hands to her back again, allowing him to thurst deeper and harder into her. When her trademark growl was released, he felt her melt completely into him, her arms automatically going around his neck to have him closer while he continued, making her body quake. His hand moved down to her thighs, trying to calm them, but then she bit his neck, and he fell forward, making Ness going on her back. It wasn't long before his final thurst was the deepest and her name came from the bottom of his throat, deep, agressive, and passive. Rolling off of her, Randy laid on his back, upside down on the bed but beside Ness, with his hand still tracing her figure. She looked up at him, her chin resting on his shoulder and her fingers teasingly walking up his chest and to his mouth where he bit one jokingly.

"Baby?" she whispered, grabbing his arm and placing it around her waist. She knew this was the moment she was telling Jeff about earlier, the moment where she could finally confess that she loved him...but instead, she kissed his jaw and continued to trace designs on his chest. "I'm sorry about earlier...and how I made you angry."

Randy's throaty laugh escaped and he rolled back over on top of Ness, kissing her ever so softly while his hands seperated her legs. "I forgive you," he whispered, closing his eyes while he felt himself go hard again. She looked over to the side, wincing when he entered because she was so sensitive from before, and her eyes fell on her arm, noticing the bruise that was slowly forming. "Hey baby," he whispered, his thrusts long and slow, "you know what would be hot?"

She moaned when she brought her hands to the back of his neck, waiting for his answer. "For my birthday...you dye your hair blonde."

Ness closed her eyes, trying to hide the tears that were quickly forming. She allowed herself to be used as his toy for the next eight minutes before he finally spent himself and groaned again, kissing her body while she was only half paying attention. When she felt him move from her and go underneth the blankets, she sat up and swung her legs over to the side of the bed, staring at her naked reflection in the mirror across the room...

Brooke was a blonde.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10****  
**

Ness woke up the next morning, not surprised to find herself alone in Randy's bed. She traced the indent on the covers where his body would be, and sighed. He was hardly ever there when she woke up the next morning.

Wrapping herself up in the thin blanket, she got out of bed and went to her own room, wanting a shower in her own personal bathroom that John made sure she had when they first moved in. She stepped into the baby pink room, shutting the door behind her for privacy, something she knew she definitly needed. Setting the lights down low and carefully lighting the candels that sat around the bathtub with her lighter, letting out a sigh as she sat on the floor.

This isn't what she pictured when John told her a couple of friends were staying with them for a few weeks.

Looking at her arm, she shook her head at the green and blue mark that was there, tracing it with her nail. That was the hardest he had grabbed her, not since he's been in Colorado, but ever. They had been together since Ness left the rehab centre, and she was sure he was the one. The one love, the one guy she could be with...but after meeting Jeff, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Grabbing the bottle of bubbles, she squeezed the soap under the running water, swishing her hand back and forth under the tap. Removing the blanket sheet from her body, she stepped in the bath and sunk in, letting the bubbles cover her body. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, finally able to relax...

"Ness? Are you around?"

Letting out a grunt, she opened her eyes, "I'm in the tub, come in!"

"Are you sure?" Jeff spoke through the crack from the doorway, "I don't want to interupt...or see anything you don't want me to."

Pulling the shower curtains to a close, she called for him to come in, seeing his sillohute enter the room. "About last night..."

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, sitting up in the tub and pulling her knees to her chest. "I was a bitch, and I didn't mean to say those things...they were mean and selfish...I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Jeff shook his head, drawing the curtains away so he could see her. "It's not your fault, man. I hear the same thing from the guys, and after awhile, you just get so sick of it, you know? Candice used to sleep around, I know that, but she changed when we met, that's why we're getting married," he reached out and held her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth and kissed the top of it, "I'm sorry, Ness. I really am."

She gave him a smile while he let go of her hand, bringing it back to herself and hugged her kness. "You really love her, don't you?" she asked, keeping the smile on her face.

"You don't have any idea," he said with a chuckle, taking a seat on the ground. "She's the most amazing thing that has happended to me, and in a few weeks I get to spend the rest of my life with her...it's undescribable."

"Congratulations." They both smiled at each other, not caring about the silence that surrounded them. It was comfortable for both Jeff and Ness, and neither of them knew what to say...it seemed wrong if they were to say anything at that moment.

Jeff hated to be the one that broke the silence. "So, tonight I heard that Randy, John and Lillian were going out," he mentioned. "And I was thinking that tonight when they're gone...I could sketch you. I have an idea for your pose...if that's alright with you?"

"Sure," Ness agreed, nodding her head. "It's just...I haven't done anything like this in years, so if it turns out bad, or if you don't think I'm pretty enough..." He moved closer to the tub, and the silence returned. "He never says I'm pretty," she whispered, moving so she laid on her stomach and her chin rested on the edge of the tub. Jeff picked her chin up, resting it on his finger and looked her in the eyes, ignoring the depressed gleam that was showing and took in the rare, dark chocolate colour that they were. No wonder she always looked so innoncent in her photos and movies from before...she was.

She could feel her heart pound in her chest, afraid that he'd be able to see how strong is was beating as he moved closer to her, his lips inches away from hers. Her eyes closed when she let out a breath, it was shaky and weak, but her fears and insercurities left when his hand moved to the back of her head and they moved just that much closer together, their lips finally touching.

Her wet hand went through his hair, slowly like their kiss, but intimate and personal. If Jeff were to get any closer, he'd get wet himself; realizing this made Ness, regretfully, pull away. "I didn't mea..."

"You're more than pretty," he whispered, placing another kiss on her forehead, "trust me."

She turned her back to him, ignoring the water that splashed out of the tub and got on his jeans. While she wanted to hear those words for the longest time, to her, it meant nothing coming from the lips of Jeff Hardy. If Randy Orton were to say it, she'd actually believe him and take it to heart, because she knew he wouldn't say it to Kristen in Rhode Island...

When the door closed, Ness went underwater, moving her hands over her face and through her hair, trying to erase what she had just done. She, Ness, had kissed Jeff. Or Jeff had kissed her. She remembered enjoying the feeling of his touch that was so delicate, yet so intense that every part of her stiffed just thinking about it...

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Baby?" Randy whispered, nuzzling her neck while he spooned her from behind. "Nessa, wake up babe..." the lips he planted across the back of her neck caused her to stir quietly and flutter her eyes open to look at her boyfriend. "Are you OK? You were dreaming..."

Ness opened her eyes all the way, turning to look at the man beside her. "Yeah," she whispered against his lips, placing a gentle kiss on him. "You know how things get when I get to finally sleep," she tried to joke.

Randy looked at her closely, noticing the beads of sweat dropping from her forehead. "You're sweating," he mentioned, using the blanket to wipe it off, "what were you dreaming of?" He traced her face with his finger, wrapping his arm around her body and brought her closer to him just so he could enjoy the feeling of them being together. It was then the words were caught in her throat, wanting to whisper those innoncent words she had heard so many couples say to each other, but she stopped herself when he began to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "This whole thing with you and Hardy..." he began, keeping his voice low and his lips close to hers, "should it be anything I should be worried about?"

Her heart broke at his words. "Of course not, sweetie," she whispered back. "It's just...sometimes I need someone to talk to that knows what I went through...and Jeff is the right person." She kissed him again, closing her eyes and took pleasure in the soft kisses he was giving her at the moment, as if he was a completely different person from the night before. Randy moaned while his hand went to the back of her head, deepening the kiss only for Ness to pull away. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked, her eyes returning to the innocent look she was known for.

Randy sighed and leaned away from her, settling his head on the pillow, "of course."

With a smile, she sat up with the blankets wrapped around her bare chest, licking her lips as she looked at him. "I'm going to write a book." His laugh echoed the room, loudly, which made her frown. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "I just thought it'd be different because of the adoption, and Darion, and then rehab..."

"Ness, people already know who you are and what you've done. They read tabloids, and you were all over them at one point, remember? No offense babe, but not one is going to read it."

"But Randy," she tried to reason with him, grabbing his hand when he tried to get out of the bed, "Jenna Jameson did it, and Pamela Anderson wrote a few books, Paris Hilton, Randy! Paris Hilton wrote a book!"

"Nessa babe," he sighed, putting on his boxers and standing at the foot of the bed, "that's because people know who they are. They've forgtten about you. They don't even know _you, _they know Brooke. Now, if Brooke were to write the book, then people would read it. Got a kiss for me?" on his hands and knees, he leaned forward to where she was, sticking his cheek out for a kiss. Relectuntly, she gave him one, then watched as he left to have a shower.

Leaning against the headboard, she tried to figure out how he could do such a quick 180 with his personality. Just moment before he was giving her the gentliest kisses, and then just like that, he totally shut down her idea of writing a book. Ness held the tears back, realizing she has done enough crying for awhile and turned her attention to his dresser, seeing the top shelf slightly opened.

It was wrong for her to even consider just taking the slightest peek, but she had to. She felt like a kid being told not to do something and how it always made her want to do it just that much more, and with a crawl across the bed and her feet on the ground, she stood up, outlining the grinds of the oak dresser with her finger...

Casually, she played with the handle, playing with the metal hook that clanged when it hit the top of the wood. With a small tugged, it opened a little, but not enough for her to see what was really inside of it. Pulling at the handle a little more, it slammed suddenly with her finger caught between the drawer and the shelf...Randy was standing right behind her.

"You'll never learn," he whispered, grabbing her arm at the same spot he had grabbed previously. "Stay out of there." He made a slight budge to let her finger free, ignoring the small amount of blood that trickled down from her cuticle and down her finger.

Ness looked at the wound at eye level, blurring Randy out of her mind for the moment. "You'll need a band aid," he told her, his hands on her shoulders as he lead her out of the room with the blanket still wrapped around her. When he closed the door, she looked back down at her finger, and then again at her bruise...

"You OK?"

She ignored the southern drawl from beside her and turned her back on him, retreating to her bedroom. "Like you give a fuck," she mumbled, not turning around to make the slightest bit of eye contact with Jeff.

Going to the bathroom, she opened the cabinent and took out a band aid, tossing the wrapper to the side and cursing when the sticky sides of the band aid stuck together. Wrapping the injured finger with a kleenex, Ness tried to keep the pressure on the tissue and apply the bandage but gave up when she could see him standing in the doorway, laughing at her.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" she snapped at him. "Everyone else is leaving, why aren't you with them?"

"Well," Jeff sighed, leaning against the frame of the door. "John and Lillian went out for breakfast, Randy went to the gym, and Candice has some wedding plans to finalize...so I'm here. With you. And you're struggling to put on a band aid because..."

Ness looked down at her bleeding finger, taking the kleenex off of it. "I pinched it. I'll be fine."

Stepping closer to her, Jeff took a band aid out of the box and grabbed her hand softly, carefully wrapping the band aid around the wound. "Did you pinch it?" he questioned, his eyes looking up at hers, instantly finding the truth. "Did he say sorry?"

She jerked her finger away from her grip and left the washroom to go lay down on her bed and block Jeff out of her view. Closing her eyes when her head hit the pillow, she could hear his footsteps go through her room and out the door, though he didn't close it when he left. Looking at the blood soaked band aid, she sighed. This definitly wasn't what she pictured when John said a few of his friends were staying for a few nights.

Opening the top drawer from her nightstand, Ness brought out the beat up blue notebook that had been with her for so long. The front cover was almost torn off completely with the first page almost completely exposed, showing what words she had wrote down so long ago. She looked at the date of the top right hand corner, one of few habits she developed when she went to class, and grinned.

_August 7th, 2000_

The day she met Darion.

Ness continued to look through the book, smiling at the happy times when she read about how he brought her flowers one day, and how he cooked dinner the next. At the bottom of the page, dated August 18th, 2000, she traced her writing and read it quietly to herself, "I think I'm falling in love."

"With who?" Jeff stood at the corner of her bed, setting up the final touches of his easel. He looked over the top of the white canvas and raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for an answer.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, putting the book back in the top drawer. "Why didn't you knock? Don't you have any manners?"

He didn't answer her while he moved his easel further back and closer to the wall of her room, trying to find the right angle. "Come closer to the corner."

Throwing her hair up in a messy ponytail, not caring about the few strands that were in front of her face, Ness stayed in her spot, arms folded across her chest. "No."

Jeff stole a chair from her makeup table and sat in front of the easel, pencil in hand, ready to sketch. "Come closer to the corner," he said again, gently beginning to sketch the outline of her face. He smirked when he saw she hadn't moved at all from her position, and took it upon himself to do what he had requested. Standing up from the chair, he grabbed her foot and pulled her closer, despite her trying to kick his hand away with her free foot. "Don't touch me!" She screamed, whacking the back of her heel against his wrist.

When she was finally near the corner, Ness gave up. Letting Jeff pose her in the way she wanted, she felt like she was modeling again when she felt his hand gently grab her thigh and move it off to the side, just enough to show it was bare. He caught a glimpse of her eyes and noticed the half bored-half nervous look she had while they shifted uneasily around the room. "Relax," he whispered, softly releasing her grip from the blanket and letting it fall against her legs, leaving her chest bare. "Take your hair down," he continued to order, his voice at ease to help her relax.

Nervously, she let her hair free from the ponytail it was in, allowing it to fall free and cover her naked chest. Jeff looked at Ness in the eye while he held onto one of her hands and brought it to his lips, "beautiful," he mumbled, giving her knuckles a kiss before he went behind his easel.

She rested her hands on top of her thighs and looked straight ahead, focusing on the picture of her and Lillian that hung on her wall. "Am I doing OK?" she finally spoke, her stomach still filled with knots from being nervous. "It's been so long, and I haven't been feeling very...pretty, lately..."

"You're doing great," he said, taking in her dark eyes, "except, could you change your eyes a little? As weird as that sounds? Make them more...softer?" Trying the best she could to follow his order, she relaxed a little, hoping it would change how her eyes were. "Need anything else to relax you?" he asked. "I'm not sure how you used to do this..."

"We used to have music going, but its fine without it," she said with a shrug. "When Darion and I had to do these together, we always listened to Purple Rain so we could get the right passion," she told him with a slightly lower voice, as if she was imitating her then partner. "It worked...but then when I was by myself, it was always 'pose like this', 'pose like that'. 'Spread your legs more'. Then I'd go home and cry, and write down how much it sucked, but I was making good money so it didn't matter..."

"You kept a diary? I bet that's an interesting read," he said with a wink, a small grin showing on his face.

And with that little comment and smile, Ness relaxed. The small conversation continued, making her comfortable, until Jeff brought up Randy and his cheating ways. "I just don't see how it doesn't bother you," he commented, setting the pencil down for a moment. "I travel with him, and it happendes..."

"Jeff, I know," she stopped him. "And it does bother me, but I can't always be there for him."

"What do you do?" he picked the pencil up again and began sketching her facial structure, making sure he took in every strand of hair that was slightly over her face. "Don't you have any guys?"

She gave him a smirk and shook her head. "Yeah right," she said with a groan. "I'm done with that stage in my life, who knows what weirdo I'd end up with. He'd find out anyways, I'd feel so guilty about it..."

"You shouldn't, because he sure as hell doesn't." Jeff looked up from his drawing and quickly stole a glimpse at Ness, instantly regretting it. He knew he put that frown on her face from his last comment, but he knew it was something she needed to her. "I'm just saying...it's not like you're a monogamis couple..."

She shifted uncomfortable from her spot, wanting to bring the blanket around her entire body instead of just a part of her leg. The tears that were forming in her eyes were held back the best she could because in her mind, Jeff had seen her cry enough. There was no need to shed another tear over Randy and his ways, at least not today...when the one tear managed to escape her eye, she wiped it away quickly, putting back on hte face Jeff had approved. "You shouldn't be affraid to try," he continued talking. "It's not fair at all he gets to have all the fun he wants, and you're left dry. You should be able to be out there like he is..."

"I was," she said with her voice cracking. "I was out there, and look what happended! I got addicted to drugs, my family left me, my friends hated me, I couldn't be monogamis if you held a gun to my head!" Her outburst made Jeff drop his pencil and look up again. "I can't be like that again, Jeff. You don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind when I see a guy that's better looking than Randy? You don't think that when I'm alone in this house on a Wednesday, that I'm lonely, and I know for a fact my boyfriend is out there with another girl, and I'm not even a thought in his head? I just can't go out there and pretend that I'm fine with what he's doing, because I'm not! But I can't tell him that, or else he'll drop me, and I can't lose him now...I need him now, Jeff. With all these other girls, I have to prove why he should stay with me and not them. I_ love _him."

"Love?" Jeff questioned in complete disbelief. "Ness, he doesn't love you!"

Wiping the next tear that fell, she wrapped the blanket around her naked body and stood up from the bed, giving Jeff one last look before she exited the room. "This session is over," she told him through grit teeth.

Slamming her door shut, she went to Randy's room and crawled under his covers. She made sure she would be awake when he came home from the gym.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Are you sure this isn't too far ahead in planning?" Lillian asked John as they walked into yet another baby store. "I mean, I don't even know if it's a boy or girl, and you want to get strollers and cribs..."

"It's being prepared, not planning ahead. Now come on, we haven't gone into this store yet..." he grabbed onto her hand and brought her into the next store.

"Where are we going to put all this? We have enough stuff already, and I'm not even showing yet! John, this is stupid, can we just go home?" She stood where the entrance was, hands on her hips and did her best to look tired. "I just want to sleep."

John stopped in his tracks, more than half way in the store, and faced his blonde friend. "Sleep?" he asked, picking up a teddy bear, moving its arms and legs to make it dance. "Can we at least buy this guy? He's cool looking..."

Lillian moved and went up to John, snaking her hand in his back pocket. "I'll be in the car," she told him, miserably, as she stole the keys from him and left on her own.

With the bear in his hand, John went to the cash register and put it down while searching through his wallet for money. "Congratulations!" The perky cashier greeted him.

"Excuse me?" John asked the smallet blond as he gave her his credit card.

"On the baby! You and your wife must be so happy! This teddy is adorable, isn't it? I just love it. And it's just so soft...$17.97 please." The cashier rang his credit card through while John looked around him, quickly bowing his head as if he didn't want to be regonized. The teenaged boy behind him had one of his shirts on, as did who John assumed was the boys pregnant girlfriend, looking like she was ready to give birth at any moment.

Taking the plastic bag that had the teddy bear away from the overly-excited blonde, he walked out the store as fast as he could with his eyes foused on the ground. He picked up the pace when he heard footsteps behind him, then his name was called and he couldn't help but look back. "Mr. Cena! Congratulations, I didn't know you got married!" the teenaged boy from the store said, forcing a handshake between the two of them. "That explains why you haven't been on Raw in awhile, wow...is your wife with you? My girl and I would love to meet her. Eva, that's my girlfriend, she has the biggest crush on you, and would be so jealous of your wife..."

"Hey man, that's great, but I really got to get going..."

"John? Can we get going?" Lillian poked her head out from the sun roof, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. "I'm starv...oh..."

The younger man's eyes lit up when he saw the singer appear and instantly shook John's hand again. "Lillian? I thought her and Batista..." From behind the fan's shoulder, he saw the pregnant girlfriend quickly approaching them as fast as she could. Managing to jerk his grip out of the handshake, John got into his car quickly and drove off, not bothering to make sure Lillian had her seatbelt on.

While they sped down the road they kept silent. Lillian, embarassed that the fan had caught her with John, looked out the window to the peaceful Colorado scenery and held the plastic bag tightly to her stomach. She took out the teddy bear he had purchased, running her hand over the soft material. It was a simple brown teddy, something she would've bought later into her pregnancy...or something she'd buy now and keep for herself, add it to the collection she had in the home she lived in with Dave. Leaning over to where John was, she pressed to face of the teddy to his cheek, making a kissing noise which caused him to laugh. "You're amazing," she told him, her attention now focused on him instead of the lake outside her window. "I don't think I'd be able to do this all on my own."

He took the hand that was closest to her and placed it on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'd do anything for you," he said, taking his eyes off the road for a quick second. "You're my best friend."

She took the hand off of her shoulder and held it in her own, linking her fingers through his. "We can do this," she said out loud, convincing herself that everything will be alright.

When they pulled up to a stop light, John brought his hand up to her face, cupping it and placing a kiss on her lips. "We can do this," he whispered back, his breath on her lips. With a smile, they pressed their lips together again, enjoying what they shared.

"Together?" she asked, squeezing his hand as if to tell him the light turned green.

John gave a laugh as he continued to drive, one hand on the wheel, one hand in hers. "Together, Lils," he told her, pulling into the driveway of his house.

"What about all this stuff? How are we going to take into the house?" she questioned, taking the shopping bags out of the trunk. "There's so much..."

Connecting their hands together again, John led Lillian to a small door that was in the garage and opened it, showing a small empty room that would be used for shelter. "It can go in here," he said, grabbing the bags out of her hands and putting them in the small storage room. "The toys, clothes...until you're ready to tell everyone, it can all go in here."

Lillian wrapped her arms around his waist, placing the smallest kisses along his neck and bare shoulder. "You're amazing," she said to him again.

He chuckled when his arms went around her shoulders and brought her closer to him, kissing the top of her head. "Hey," he said quietly, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Together."

And with that, they shared another kiss, finally feeling secure about what the future will bring them.

LegendSpeaking: So...I ask for no death threats, and no one sends a review? Thanks guys! That's awesome that I have no idea what you think of this story, but continue to read it anyways without leaving feedback. Seriously, almost 100 hits, and not one review? Less reviewsless updates. Let's keep this in mind, bitches...


	11. Chapter 11

Jeff opened the door to the patio deck slowly as he didn't want to disturb Lillian, who was quietly reading in one of the plastic chairs. When the door closed, she took off her reading glasses and placed them on top of the table, watching as Jeff took a seat next to her. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, pointing off to the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise.

_Morning sickness._ "I couldn't sleep," she lied with a shrug. "This is a good book, so, you know...just trying to find out what happendes next...what are you up to?"

He gave a laugh as he sat back in his chair, slouching low. "I never sleep," he told her with a grin. "With the wedding coming up and Candice changing everything..."

"Like what?"

His face fell, the smile dissapearing right away. Fidgiting with his hands and not making contact with the blonde, he gave a sigh before he said, "she doesn't want you singing for our first dance. There's some other guy she found, and Candice said she'd rather have him than you..."

Lillian looked down at her hands that rested on her stomach and let out a sigh of her own. "That was the only thing you got to decide," she whispered. "Jeff, I wrote a song on my own, I have the music for it, and the lyrics are done...it was just for you guys."

"I don't know what to tell her, Lils. This is her final desicion, she told me last night before we went to bed. I can try and talk her out of it..."

"You have to!" she shouted, unexpectedly. "Jeff, this is your day too! She can't make the choices for everything!" she stood up from her chair, grabbing her book and putting her glasses back on, "you said I could sing at your wedding. You asked me to do that before you even proposed to her!" Turning her back, she shuffled towards the entrance of the house, silently cursing to herself. With her hand on the handle, she turned one last time to look at Jeff, shaking her head at him, "how could you let her take so much control?," she asked him, disapointed. "That's not like you, sweets."

Opening the door and allowing herself in, Lillian walked to the front hall and put her shoes on, wanting to go for a walk. Putting on one of John's coats to keep her warm in the early morning, she went to the front door and opened the door, gasping in shock when she saw Ness sitting on the front step having a cigerette. "God damn, Lils," she mumbled, a hand over her heart and a smile on her face, "you scared me."

"I didn't think you were awake," the blonde answered, sitting next to her friend and eyeing the ashes that fell to the ground. "Doesn't anyone sleep in this house? You're always awake, Jeff never sleeps..."

"Randy sleeps. Often. Sleeps really well after sex...you know, just once I wish he held me again. Like the night after we kind of had a fight on the stairs, Jeff put me to bed in the guest room, and Randy came down and held me that night. I could feel his arms around me, and I traced the tattoo on his forearm, and it was the safest I've felt since I left rehab. It was like, I was meant to be with him, because we just mold right into each other...we fit together perfectly...and it was amazing. Just one more time, before the wedding stress takes a toll on everyone, I want him to hold me like that again." She took a drag out of her cigerette and blew the smoke up in the air, leaning back against the door for support. "That's probably the stupidest thing I've ever said," she mumbled.

_That was Jeff... _"It wasn't stupid," Lillian said to Ness, holding back on what she really wanted to say. "But you should probably tell him thes..."

"Why does everyone keep saying that!" Ness shouted, standing up from the step and glaring down at Lillian. "You know him, and you know he won't fucking listen to anything I say. It's easier said than done, Lillian...do you know where Jeff is?"

Nodding her head, she pointed to the patio before grabbing Ness's hand to stop her. "It's an automatic reaction," she told her, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I just found out that I'm not going to be singing at the wed..."

Rolling her eyes and jerking her hand out of the friend's grip, she left her sitting by herself on the front step on the house on her own. With a sigh, Lillian stared down at her hand, the same hand she had just tried to reason Ness with, and was in disbelief. The same girl that had just took her shopping a few days ago...the same girl that had confessed she has horrible sex with her boyfriend, but refused to leave him, had just rolled her eyes at her problems.

With a huff, she stood from her spot and charged into the house. "Ness!" She shouted, catching up to her in the kitchen, grabed her arm and had her face in the direction she demanded. "For once, listen to someone else's problems!"

"Lils, I need to tal--"

"Shut up, Ness!" By now, Randy and John appeared in the kitchen, quickly followed by a droggy Candice and a confused Jeff. "All I hear out of you, is Randy Randy Randy. Randy doesn't hold me, Randy doesn't say he loves me, Randy doesn't pay attention to my needs...fucking gag me Ness, you don't pay attention to your needs! I was just told I'm not allowed to sing at my best friend's wedding because..." she looked at Candice and pointed a finger in her direction, "_you_ don't want me there. Nevermind the fact that I've busted my ass writing a song just for you and Jeff, nevermind that I've been stressing out and practising the song for the last three months so I sound at least somewhat perfect at the wedding. And for you, Jeff, letting her get away with all this?" She walked towards Jeff and stood eye to eye with him, showing no intimidation. "Fuck yourself," she whispered, seething and narrowing her eyes. "You deserve better than Candice, and the only other woman you ever wanted is Ness, and you're not doing a God damn thing about it."

Randy wrapped his arms around Ness's waist and held her clse to his body, his hands resting inside the front pocket of her sweatshirt. Where her neck was bare, he placed his lips upon it, giving her the sincerest and smallest kisses he could while she concentrated on what Lillian said during her outburst. "Let's go talk," he whispered, leaving kisses along the shell of her ear. Ness found his hand and linked her fingers through his, leading the way up to his guest room.

She allowed him in first and closed the door behind her, leaning against it for support while she looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. Scared to look up at him, she watched as her toes alternated back and forth between the beat she had stuck in her head, praying for him to say something first. Anything.

His eyes stayed on her as he sat on the bed, wondering if she was going to move from her spot anytime soon. "Is there something you need to tell me?" he asked quietly, trying to ignore the image of him beating the hell out of Jeff Hardy that was replaying in his head. "You seem kind of..."

"Why don't you ever hold me?" she blurted out, finally looking up at him and placing her hands in her jean pockets. "You've held me once, and that was after we had a fight, but you never just...hold me. Just once, I want to feel your arms around me, and feel protected. Why can't you just be there in the morning? Do you know how much it sucks to wake up, and you're not here?"

Randy reached his arms forward and allowed Ness to come to him, wrapping her up secuerly around her waist and pulled her onto him for a kiss. When the kiss deepend, Ness pressed her hands against his chest, struggling to pull away from him as his strength around her became stronger. Her grunts of frustration went unnoticed, so she bit down on his lip until it drew blood, forcing him to break the kiss and sit up straight. "What the fuck!" he yelled, bringing a finger to his lip to see how bad it was bleeding. "Why did you do that?"

Ness crawled to the top of the bed and took her sweatshirt off, getting beneth the covers in her bra and jeans. "You weren't listening," she mumbled. "I didn't even want to kiss you."

"I didn't want to witness Lillian telling everyone that Jeff loves you," he snapped back, joining her under the covers and his attention to her. "If I find that anything happens with you and Hardy, or you with anyone..."

She shivered under the covers when she felt his arm go around her waist, and his bloody lips leaving a trail of kisses on her shoulder. The hand that was rested comfortably on her hip trailed across her stomach and down to the button of her jeans, which he undone expertly. "Stop it," she whispered, feeling his hand move down the front of her jeans and play with the top of her panties. "Randy," she mumbled, taking his hand from underneth the covers and throwing it to the side. "Hold me."

And with that, Randy wrapped his arms around her again and held her close to her chest, but she wasn't sure if it was where his hands were, or the position they were in...it didn't feel like last time.

**xxxxxxxx**

"That was...interesting," John commented as he poured a glass of orange juice for himself. Not long after Ness and Randy left, Candice and Jeff did the same, retreating to their room downstairs, leaving John and the pregnant Lillian by themselves in the kitchen. "Didn't expect that coming out of tiny ol' you."

Lillian shifted uncomfortable in the chair, making the fork spin on a plate filled with scrambled eggs and fried potatos. "I was...frustrated. Ness has only been looking out for herself lately, and her and Randy aren't getting along that well. All she wants to do is talk to Jeff about anything, but God forbid I might have a problem that I want to talk about."

John pulled her up and took her over to the couch in the living room, laying down on it and inviting her to lay with him. Smiling and taking a sip from the glass of orange juice he made sure he brought, she snuggled close to his muscular chest with her arms going around his defined stomach. "Jeff told me Candice doesn't want me to sing at their wedding anymore," she told him, keeping her voice low in case someone could hear them. "He said she found someone else..."

"What a bitch," John mumbled, his hand rubbing her back as if on habit. "You wrote that song and everything for them, did you tell Jeff that?"

"Candice doesn't care. She's planning the entire wedding. Who knows if we're even invited anymore, maybe they only want the top guys there or something..." he cut her off when he titled her chin up in his direction and kissed her, silencing the rest of her sentence. He could feel her grin against his lips when she kissed him back, her tongue slightly flicking at the closed entrance between them.

With a groan, John used all he strength to sit up, keeping his arms locked around Lillian while she moved with him and stradled his hips. Nuzzling her neck to the side, he nipped at the sensitive spot on her neck, gently, softly, enough for her to just barely feel it and tease her. Her delicate giggle from when he moved his hands up her shirt escaped from her mouth, followed by a quick gasp of his name. She felt him grind himself against her, feeling the grumble from the back of his throat released against his neck, and she gasped his name again. "John," she whispered," her hands pressed against his pecs, trying to push him back. "John, stop..."

"Lils? Are you OK?" She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand, moving off of his lap. Making a mad dash to the kitchen, she stopped at the sink, gagging. Jumping off the couch, John ran to where she was, holding her hair back as she continued to throw up. "Does this happen a lot?" he whispered, turning the water on to clean out the sink.

"Every morning the last four days," she whispered as she leaned against the counter and slid all the way down to the ground. "John?" he stopped scrubbing the sink and looked down at the blond, waiting for her to continue. "I...I need to talk to you."

Dropping the cloth into the now clean sink, John sat on the ground with Lillian, putting an arm around her shoulders and allowing her to rest her head on his chest. "I've been thinking, since that whole fan thing..." she put her hand into her shorts pocket, struggling to get out the object. Finally pulling it out, she held it up for John to see, scared of the look on his face. "John, just hear me out," she began once she saw the serious look on his face.

"Lillian..."

"We're going to fake it," she explained, handing him the ring. "You said you'll be there for me, so when I have doctor appointments, and when we go shopping...we're going to pretend we're married."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Jeff sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him and his guitar in his lap, gently playing it while Candice sat next to him. With her hair down and her white satin house coat loosely around her shoulders, she put the pen down in her wedding plans book, "baby," she whispered, twirling a piece of his hair around her finger. "I've made some more changes to the wedding..."

With a sigh, he set the guitar by the side of the couch and invited his fiancee to sit in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek, "like what baby?"

"Well..." she picked up her book and opened it to a bookmarked page, "I talked to Hunter and Shawn, and they've agreed to be your best man and groomsmen...and I thought for our honeymoon..."

"My best man? Candy, Matt is my best man. Randy, John and Punk agreed to be my groomsmen..."

"Sweetie, this is better for your career. Having the top guys up there with you shows your serious about..."

"My career?!" he yelled, startling her from her spot on him. "This is our wedding day, and you're worried about my career?"

With a laugh and a roll of her eyes, Candice leaned against the arm rest of the couch. "And mine, Jeffey. That's why I have Stephanie as my maid of honor, and Mickie has my bridesmaid. Although, I can't stand that annoying laugh she has whenever she's around you...I think she's trying to steal you from me."

"Mickie wouldn't do that. She's my friend, she's been my friend since before I knew you. Candice, you just can't change things like this on me without discussing it with me first. This is _our _wedding day."

"Jeff, I'm doing this for you," she told him bluntly, pulling him close by the collar of his shirt and pressing her lips, harshly, against his. She nipped at his bottom lip, trying to get him to open up but he refused, not even pressing his lips to hers to kiss her back. "Baby," she whispered, her hands tracing the muscles through his shirt. "What's your problem?"

Standing up from the couch and standing in front of her, he cupped her face in his hand, looking down at her chocolate, brown eyes. "I want Lillian to sing our first dance."

"What? No, that's not happening. Absolutley not. Edguardo has a wonderful voi..."

"Candice! Let me make one descision about our wedding!" His yelling was heard throughout the house, causing John and Lillian to watch from the top of the stairs where Jeff and Candice couldn't see them. "She's worked hard on it, Candy. Just let her sing one song...please..."

Trailing her lips across his abdomen, she planted her kisses gently as she moved lower and lower, finally reaching his belt buckle and undoing it. "Jeff, I'm not having Lillian singing at our wedding. No more discussions." Removing the belt completely, she continued to let her lips go lower until he finally stepped back away from her. "Jeff? Jeffey, where are you going? We aren't done talking!" Candice shouted after him, standing up from the couch and wrapping her housecoat around her. "Jeff, I'm speaking to you!"

He continued to ignore her, making his way upstairs, past John and Lillian, to find Ness...

Only to find her safely in the arms of Randy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Candice woke up alone in her bed, the blankets covering her body up to her chin, thanks to Jeff making sure she was comfortable. She let out a moan as she did the morning stretch in her bed, reaching her hands up to the headboard and grabbing onto the top and making sure every muscle in her body was being pulled to the limits. Effortlessly, she fell back onto the bed with a sigh, then a roll of her eyes when she saw what time it was: 3:13 in the afternoon. Everyone else would be awake and running around the house to get ready for their co-workers coming over for the pre-drinks before they head to the club because it was Randy's birthday...but that thought brought a coy smile to her face.

With her housecoat around her body, she made her way out of her guestroom, going upstairs to the kitchen, only to find Randy by himself at the table reading the newspaper. "Hey birthday boy," she whispered, walking over to him and running her hand up his bare chest. "Where is everyone?"

Randy wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap, planting kisses all along her neck. " Ness and John are grocery shopping, then going out for lunch," he mumbled, his hand making it's way down her nightgown. "And Jeff went for a walk with Lillian..." he groped her breast harshly, making a gasp escape from her pout lips. "It's been a while, you and I," he whispered, his fingers tweaking the sensitive buds on her chest. "We should make up for lost times."

A grin appeared on her face as she tipped his face towards hers and their lips connected, eagerly. Slickly, his hands moved up to her shoulders and removed the satin material from her skin, letting it fall to the ground as he took in the image in front of him: Candice Michelle, with her breast out of her nightgown, sitting on his lap and making him hard. She could feel the erection begin against her bare thighs as he hiked up her nightie higher, until the straps dropped off of her shoulders and through her arms, making the red material look like nothing more than a belt around her waist. "Take it off," he said with a grin, holding her hand as she got off of his lap and did a turn for him. The nightgown fell off with ease and landed in a puddle around her feet, which she easily stepped out of while Randy continued to watch her. She looked down at him, so relaxed with his hands propped behind his head in a chilled manner and his legs spread apart, just enough room for her to stand between. With a smile, her manicured finger nail trailed down his chest and to the waist band of his boxers, which she snapped back against his flat stomach, still smiling. The elevated area in his underwear was clearly obvious, and Candice got down on her knees and began taking the boxers off, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her.

Swiftly, she tossed them aside and ran her hands up his bare thighs, licking her lips when she saw him make eye contact with her. She grabbed him gently, using her hand to stroke up and down slowly, teasing him and making him wait. Her nails walked up to his abs before she took him in her mouth fully, her nose touching his base. Randy let out a groan as he reached down and tucked the strands of hair behind her ear while he watched her move on him, her tongue so wet and pressed against his shaft like she had done so many times before. "Candy," he groaned, his hand pushing against the back of her head to make her go further. His body started to tingle, and he could tell he was going to lose it soon. Reluctantly, he pulled her head off of him, watching as she liked her lips again and moved up, still keeping his erection in her hand.

With a swing of her hips, she stood up and placed her hands against the wall beside her, turning her back to him and keeping her legs open. Standing up from his chair he walked behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, bring her to his chest forcefully. His lips crashed against hers and she let out a whimper from the position she was in, her body not used to being twisted like that. Pushing her back to the wall, he stroked himself before he entered her, drawing it out for as long as he could. When he was in completely, he leaned forward and bit her shoulder, not caring about the mark it would leave later because he knew she could think of an excuse if Jeff asked her about it. She groaned as his hands gripped onto her hips and he started his thrusts at the speed he wanted, making her fevering in anticipation as she felt her legs begin to wobble. His name left her lips as he spun her around and forced her onto the glass breakfast table on her back, throwing her legs over his hips as he began to invade her again, not caring about her asking him to stop. Randy bit her ankle as he threw it up on shoulder, reaching even deeper into her and she called out in pleasure. Her hands cupped her breast as her breaths became quicker and she could feel herself reaching her peek and his thighs began to slap against hers at a rapid pace. Letting his hands let go of her ankles, he reached down and grabbed her wrist, holding them above her head until they both climaxed, letting out one last grunt as their screams in the empty house echoed in the kitchen, each others name hardly audible once their rush came down.

He collapsed on top of her, his lips instantly going to her collarbone where he nibbled at every piece of flesh that was available to him, her trademark breathless laugh starting to take over her body. "Oh my," she whispered, still laying on the table, moving her arm to knock off the newspaper. "That...that was..."

Pulling her up and sitting down in the previous chair, she sat on his lap again, and she could feel him go hard inside of her. Slightly fidgeting at the feeling, Randy gave her a wink as he kissed along her ear, whispering, "I'm not done."

**xxxxxxxxx**

"So, I'm going to make the cake, and then when everyone starts coming over, I'll hang out with the girls for a bit, and then go get ready," Ness explained to John, taking the groceries out of the trunk of his car. "What are you and the guys planning on doing?"

John shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the beer from the backseat. "We'll see what Randy wants to do. Probably football or whatever, we have enough guys coming for even teams, so that'd be fun..."

"That'd be a shame if like, some of the guys have to take their shirts off," Ness said as she closed to car door with her foot, trying to balance all the bags she had in her hand. "Epically...what's his name? Long hair, six pack, Johnny...Mars?"

"Morrison," he corrected her. "And you're staying away from all of them, because you have Randy. Besides, if you even think about corrupting _another_ one of my friends, I'm kicking you out of the house." Getting the keys from his pocket, John opened the front door slowly, trying to make sure the case of beer stayed in his hand. Finally kicking the door open, he walked in and took his shoes off, making sure Ness was right behind him.

"What if I don't drink tonight? Then can I at least pet his hair?" she asked jokingly, taking her shoes off and following John into the kitchen. When John put the beer down and turned around, he grabbed a hold onto Ness's shoulders and turned her as well, directing her downstairs. "John, what the hell?" she shoved him out of her way, placing all of the groceries bags in his arm and charged up the stairs. "I'm allowed in the kitchen!"

" Ness, stop." Letting out a sigh, she stopped half way up the steps and looked at her brother, waiting for him to continue. "Don't. Please," he begged. "Look, you can talk to the guys, you can pet them and hug them and whatever you want, but please, just don't go in the kitchen."

Rolling her eyes, she walked up the remaining steps and made her ways towards the kitchen, stopping at the same spot John did. Her breathing became shallow as the tears formed in her eyes, making her vision become blurry. She couldn't speak, or yell at Randy, something she wanted to do right then. But with how fast he was moving and the determination on his face, Ness knew he was almost done...but she couldn't move. She couldn't charge into the kitchen and grab Candice by her hair, yanking her off of Randy and then kick her so hard in the ribs that each and every one of them would break. It didn't matter that it was Candice, she would've done it to any woman that was with him, what bugged her the most was that he did it so carelessly and so bluntly.

John put his hand on her shoulder, which she jerked away from, finally able to move and ran up the stairs to the first open door. Closing it behind her, she leaned against it for support and looked up, seeing Lillian laying in bed reading. "Hey," she greeted her smaller friend. "Need to talk?"

It has been a week since Lillian had her outburst, and Ness hadn't spoken to her since. Putting her book down, she waited for Ness to make the move, to deicide if she wanted to talk or not. With a shaky sigh, she moved from the door and climbed under the covers, resting her head on Lillian's shoulder. "I love him," she whispered, letting the first tear finally fall.

Pressing her lips together, the singer wrapped her arms around Ness, holding her while she sobbed into the oversized hoodie that she was wearing. She stroked her hair and rocked her gently while she cried, only giving John the smallest smile when he showed up at the door, before he decided to turn and leave.

Walking back down the stairs, John stopped in the kitchen again, finding Randy by himself in his boxers, standing by the fridge with the door open. Taking this as his chance, John approached him and slammed him against the closest wall, holding the larger man by his throat. "You're done," he seethed, letting go of his hold when Randy began to fight back. "I want you and my sister to break off anything you have between you guys. Now."

Randy pushed John out of his way, rubbing the spot on his throat that he had grabbed moments ago. "No," he challenged, standing up straight to try and intimidate the smaller man. "Your sister and I..."

"Are done. If you don't break up with her, then I'll make her break up with you. That's it." With a smirk, Randy walked away, giving John one last cocky shove before he went upstairs and found Ness with Lillian, cuddling together in the same bed and whispering. Ness was finally smiling and giggling with what Lillian was saying, and from how she was moving her hands he could tell it was a story that she was exaggerating just a little bit.

Hating to interrupt, he knocked on the door quietly and allowed himself in. "Nessa?" he asked, watching her as she wiped away tears. "Can we talk?"

Lillian gave her a kiss on top of her head as she let go of her grip for Ness to move, but she stayed in her spot. "I don't want to," she whispered.

Randy nodded his head and sat on the bed, putting her hand in his. "Whenever you're ready," he mumbled against her knuckles, kissing all of them before he let go and left the room.

The few steps that it took to get to his room were longer than he had wanted, possibly because he walked slower than he usually would in hopes of Ness catching up to him and jumping on his back like she normally would. Instead, he was alone. Alone in the hallway, and alone in his room, except for the wrapped present that laid on his bed.

In blue wrapping paper, there was a small card in the middle of the red ribbon that went around the large gift, simply reading _Happy Birthday_. He could tell it was her handwriting, everything was so loopy but tidy, it was a recognizable signature Ness had. Tearing off the wrapping paper, he grinned when the gift was open, seeing a sketch of her on her bed, naked, and vulnerable. He traced the outline of her face and down to where the blanket was that covered her lower half, admiring how the artist took in every wrinkle the blanket had. Looking around the room, he pondered on where to put it, and that's when he noticed Jeff's initials at the right hand side of the picture, dated only nine days ago.

Cringing, he found an outfit for the night and hung it up on the door of his closet, making sure he would remember to see it after his shower.

If it weren't for the doorbell ringing of the guest arriving, Randy would have never got the image of Ness laughing around Jeff, being happy and content when he wasn't around. He had noticed the two of them were dangerously close when they first started their stay, but something recently happened between them, and she kept the information from him. When she woke him up that night, so needy and self-centered about her own needs, he knew something was different about her...

And he put the entire blame on Jeff Hardy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ness applied some more icing onto the birthday cake that just cooled off, slopping on the thick coating without a care. With the knife moving smoothly over the icing, she stopped when she heard the patio door open and closed and footsteps enter the kitchen. "Got any water?"

Turning around, she licked her lips at the vision in front of her. Licking some icing off of the knife, her eyes darted over to the fridge beside her and gave her head a quick nod towards it. "There's bottles in there," she told him while she continued to lick the icing off. "You guys having fun out there?"

His shirtless body stood in front of the fridge and he was slightly bent over in search for some water. "It's not too bad. My team is losing but not by much. Why aren't you watching? The girls are outside." He twisted the cap off the bottle and took a sip from it, waiting for her answers. He could tell that they had the same heritage, just from how tanned she was and where her curves were until he realized he was becoming slightly aroused as he watched her do something as simple like ice a cake.

"I'm too busy making a cake Randy doesn't deserve," she informed him, trying not to look over to where he was.

"Everyone deserves a birthday cake." He stood behind her and placed his hand on top of hers, moving the knife around as the icing continued to be evenly spread. She shivered when he moved close enough she could feel his hot breath on her neck and the bottle of water that he put in shorts pocket against her bare leg.

When she saw his hand move away from hers, only to move her hair to oneside, she turned around, their bodies pressed together from the small distance there was between them. He watched as she swallowed, the lump in her throat moving down, and he kept his eyes on her, taking in the dark skin and her shapely chest...the small waist but thick hips... "Carlito," he mumbled, taking her hand in his and placing it against his lips.

"Ness," she whispered back, allowing his free hand to move along her bare arm and cup her smaller back, bringing her that much closer to him. She swallowed again while she watched him lick his lips and move his head closer to hers, their foreheads against each others, their hearts beating rapidly. When her breath passed his lips, he slightly moaned and tilted her head up to be nearer to her lips, trying to resists the urge to kiss her right there...

"Carlito? The guys are getting impa...oh. Sorry..." Maria closed the door quickly just as Carlito and Ness stepped away from each other, all the tension between them offically gone.

Ness quickly turned her back to him and picked the knife back up, icing the spot that didn't need anymore spreading. "You should go back to your game," she told him, not wanting him to see her face as red as it was.

He spun her around and scooped her up in his arms, surprising her from behind and made his way through the front hallway and up the stairs, raising his eyebrows at the woman he was carrying. Her body quivered as she lefted a weak arm and pointed to where her bedroom was, which he followed at once.

Closing the door with his heel, Carlito set her on the bed gently and leaned down, his lips landing softly on top of hers. Her hand cupped his chin when she leaned into it, her back slightly arching off the bed and letting his hand run up her thigh, putting pressure on her to go back down. He laid on top of her, keeping his kisses delicately soft, his hands moving across her soft skin and through her hair. With a throaty moan, Ness pulled away from him and gasped, running her fingers through his curls, "béseme," she whispered, her eyes closing once she said it. He pressed his lips along her neck and moved his hands up her sides, making the tank top roll up so her stomach was bare. Tracing her curves with the tip of his fingers, his lips went all the way down to her shorts, where he kissed just above the waist band. Sucking at the small piece of flesh that was around her navel.

"Tóqueme." Smoothly, the terry cloth shorts were discarded and tossed to the side and Carlito continued to kiss her bare skin while watching her wither from beneth him. Playing with the small strings that held her panties together, he undid the right side, kissing her hips and licking the skin. His hands traveled across the top of her thighs and down her legs, settling at her moist centre where they circled it with ease. Ness fisted the sheets as her legs were brought up to his shoulders on her own, waiting for him to continue. She could feel it when a finger was slipped inside of her, and his lips were kissing the inside of her thighs. With a gasp, she sat up and watched him, watching as his mouth moved across her skin and to the top of her previously discreet part where with the tip of his tongue he gave the sensitive bud a flick. A loud grunt escaped her throat as she fell back down on the bed, relieved that his mouth was finally touching her where she wanted.

He kept his eyes on her while she whispered words of encouragment in spainish, making his own get hard from her raspy voice. His lips covered her whole while his tongue continued to work around the hardening nub, flicking and swirling around it while she continued to move beneth him, sqiurming and sucking in her bottom to help prevent herself calling out his name in case someone was in the house. "Parada," she pleaded, using the palm of her hand to push her head back, repeating the spainish word repeatedly. Looking up from his spot she closed her legs and caught her breath, then beckoned him over to the wall near her bathroom, pointing to it. "Come here," she said demandingly.

Walking over, Carlito reached Ness and watched as her hands instantly went to the rim of his shorts. She removed them with a tug and watched them fall with a thud due to the water bottle that was still in the pocket. Putting her hand on his shoulders, she turned him around so he was against the wall and cupped him gently, slightly stroking him with her nails. Her lips left marks on his neck and down his abdomen, stopping at his hard on. Before her lips even touched, his hands went underneth her arms and lifted her back up, spining her around so she was against the wall. "No," he told her, his breath hot by her ear. He captured her bottom lip with his, connecting their hands together and making them reach as high as she could. With her arms in the air, he ran his hands down her body, grasping her breast with a sudden foce that made her moan. Taking one to his mouth, the spainish began rolling off her tongue again while she moaned as she felt him suck on the soft bud, almost giving it the same treatment she received earlier. Her pants became more rapid and he felt her wetness against him when she brought a leg up around his body.

Looking up and seeing the neediness in her eyes, he grinned against her lips while he adjusted himself, teasing her entrance with his tip. Her eyes closing he took as sign to go further, which he did, until he couldn't go anymore. Waiting for her body to adjust, he started his thursts, slow and tame while she moved with him, her hands fisting the curls on the top of his head. With her back against the wall, a leg around his waist and her hands in his hair, he lifted her other leg on his own, going deeper into her while she held on around his neck, pressing their naked bodies together. He could feel her groans aginst his shoulder, feeling the viberations as they came right from the bottom of her throat. They were deep, almost gravol like, and he couldn't help but ponder when was the last time she felt this way...

"Mas duro," she cried out, digging her nails into his flesh. He cringed at the pain, but put more momentum behind his pushes, stepping backwards and fall onto the bed. With her on his lap, he reached up and grabbed her breast again, massaging them while she bounced and placed her hands on top of his. Her hands controlled what he did with his, and he found himself grabbing onto her chest harder than he would have liked. Finally, her breathing was becoming unsteady, and with one last groan of his name, he felt her soften at the same time he did, finishing together.

Getting off of his body and laying beside him, she rolled to her side and placed a kiss on his lips, smiling to herself when he returned. "Wow," she whispered. "That..."

"Yeah," he cut her off, knowing what she was going to say. He sat up and stood, going to where his shorts were and put them back on. Grinning at her, he tossed her her clothes as well, and she put them on while she watched him tie his shorts together at the middle of his hips. When they were both dressed they met in the middle of the room, their arms going around each other again and sharing a kiss...

From her spot at the doorway, where it was open just a crack, Candice grinned to herself while she closed the door. She had the ammo that would make Randy angry, and make him hers before the night was over. Toying with the ring around her neck, she turned on her heel and made her way back downstairs to the kitchen where Randy was, staring at his cake.

"It's not even iced," he complained to her as soon as she entered. "Look at the half assed job this is. It's like she left in the middle because she found something more important..."

"If you promise not to tell anyone," she whispered, her hands running up his bare chest, "I'll tell you exactly where she is." He turned around and glared at the smaller woman, his hands grabbing onto her shoulders, harshly. "Her room, upstairs," she continued. Going up on her tip toes, she nibbled on his ear lobe, "with Carlito."

Shoving Candice out of his way, Randy made a dash up the stairs on a mission, stopping right in front of Ness' door. "Ness!" He shouted, banging against the door with the side of his fist. "Open up now!"

Her eyes widened and she parted from Carlito, stopping their kiss. "Shit," she mumbled. "Go to the bathroom."

Following her instructions, he went to the bathroom and closed the door quietly behind him.

Fixing her outfit, Ness answered the door as fake happy as she could. "Hey baby," she greeted him, opening the door to allow him in. "How's your game going?"

"We had to stop it because stupid Carlito was up here with you. Where is he?" Grabbing Ness by the throat and putting her up against the wall, she struggled underneth his grip while she tried to breathe.

"He's not here," she gasped beneth his grip.

"Bull shit..."

"He's not baby, I swear. I was having a nap, I thought I was going to pass out when I was making your cake, so I came up here to lay down." His grip loosened around her neck and she was able to put her feet back on the ground. "Carlito came in the kitchen to get some water because he wasn't feeling good, then he went downstairs to catch a nap before we left for tonight. Baby, I swear..."

He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and stroked it, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Promise he isn't up here?" he whispered, bowing his head down so their foreheads touched. When she nodded, he pressed his lips to hers. "Candice said she saw him up here with you...and I got a little defensive. I just don't want to lose you, Nessa..."

She slightly cringed when she felt his arms wrap around her waist to pull her in for a hug, trying to get the image of him and Candice from earlier in the day. Weakly, she put her arms around her neck, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Carlito leaning against the door frame, watching the embrace. "I'm going to get ready...why don't you grab a shower and all that, and I'll see you in a bit?" She put her hands on his shoulders, holding onto where the tattoos were.

"Sure babe," he answered, giving her another kiss before he left. Watching him leave the room, she made sure he was in his bedroom before she went back over to Carlito, standing cooly against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.

"Does he always treat you like that?" he asked, not moving from his spot. When she didn't answer, he shook his head. "It was fun, you and I," he continued. "Maybe tonight we could leave early and come back here? One more time before I leave for Miami?" Without saying a word, he kissed her as if that would change her mind. "Let me know when you want to leave. I won't drink tonight so I'll be able to drive us home..."

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding her head. "That'd be nice." With one last kiss, Carlito tossed the (now) empty water bottle onto her bed and waved goodbye.

Feeling the tears well up in her eyes, she walked over to her bed and pulled out the journal she had looked at earlier, flipping to a fresh page. Writing the date at the top right hand corner, she grabbed the pen and wrote:

_I cheated on my boyfriend with his co-worker on his birthday. _

_W-H-O-R-E._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

John sat at the table overlooking the entire club. Sipping his beer while looking at the ground below him, he grinned when he saw his co-workers dancing, couples not dancing with their significant others...but that wasn't what had his eye.

The small brunette leaning over the bar, her cleavage pushed together and her breast at the bartenders eye level. Her small yellow dress was riding high up her legs, almost all the way up to the top of her thighs, and even from all the way at the top he could faintly hear her laugh. When the bartender moved from behind the barrier between them and onto the dance floor, John continued to watch as the tattooed arm went around the waist of Ness and their bodies moved together.

Gripping onto his beer tighter, the only thing that stopped him from going down to the dance floor and knocking out every guy that laid their eyes on his sister was the delicate hand that touched his forearm. "Let her have fun," Lillian whispered, giving John a small kiss on the cheek. "And quit being such a grump. Come down and have fun, you're being such a tightass." She added a small slap to his butt, adding emphasis on her statement. "One dance?"

Not giving an answer, he allowed the smaller blond pull him towards the dance floor while his eyes shifted over to where Randy was. From the distance, John could see his friend dancing with Brooke. With her the back of her jeans pressed up against his dress pants, Randy casually slid his hand over her bare stomach and his lips dangerously close to hers.

John was thankful Ness was too caught up in the bartender to even notice.

"You know, I bought this dress so my boyfriend would notice me," Ness told the bartender, guiding his hands to go over her curves and slipped his fingers underneath the hem.

"Where is he?"

She casually waved her hand over in Randy's direction, only able to catch a quick glimpse of him kissing Kelly Kelly against the back wall. "With that slut," she told him, her hands being placed on the back of his neck. "Tell me your name."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Austin."

Ness grinned and brought her lips to his, giving him the lightest kiss she possibly could. Anything deeper and they'd have to take it back to her bedroom. She moaned at his touch when his hand brushed past her right breast, and then he whispered, "I have to go back to work."

Ness pouted, threading her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans. "Five more minutes?" she asked against his lips, giving in when he kissed her. The kiss was gentle as they dared one another to make it deeper. He was the first to wrap his arm around her waist and put his hand in her hair, forcing the kiss to make her knees weak while he pressed her body against the wall. She groaned, capturing his bottom lip with hers, nibbling and sucking at it every chance she got. Her hands grabbed onto his biceps, holding on as hard as she could so she could somewhat remain standing on her own, but when his lips let go of hers, he gave her a wink.

"My next break is in two hours," he told her, the tips of his fingers going up her bare thigh. Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, she gave Austin a girlish smile while she watched him leave, feeling that tint of blush rising to her cheeks.

When he was back behind the bar, serving drinks to a very tipsy Melina and Jillian, Ness looked over to Randy's side of the room and for that quick second eye contact, was made.

Taking in a deep breath, she let it go unexpectedly when she felt a hand grab her arm and take her to an empty table. "Who the hell was that?" Jeff demanded, shouting over the loud music.

The blush went to her cheeks again when she saw Austin looking at her. "My future husband," she replied, dreamily. "He's so...amazing. Like, wow."

"Ness, I'm serious. You and Randy haven't even spoken to each other today, what happened? Are you really going to ignore him on his birthday?"

She let out a snort. "I'd tell you, but you wouldn't believe me." He gave her a look, daring her to try him. "Randy and Candice were having sex in my kitchen this morning when you were out...somewhere. And I saw them. But, you know...she loves you so she wouldn't do something like that." Ness stood up from her seat and left Jeff, letting him find Candice sitting with Randy in an intimate booth. He watched by himself as Randy trailed his finger up the bare thigh of the woman on his lap, giggling as their lips were so deadly close to actually connecting. Taking his distraction off of them, he watched as Ness made her way over to Carlito, who was sitting with John and Lillian. He hated how close she was sitting to Carlito, just minutes after she was making out with some bartender.

It wasn't long before Jeff saw her face fall when John mentioned something and the two Cena siblings left the table and went through the back door.

Looking around, Ness shrugged her shoulders while she dug through her bag to find her cigarettes. "What's up?" she asked John, finding her lighter.

"You have to be completely honest with me," he started, his voice low so the other smokers wouldn't hear. Blowing smoke away from John's face, Ness nodded her head for him to continue. "Don't tell Randy, but I stole a pair of socks from him," he began. "But I didn't know what drawer he kept them in..." stuffing his hand in his pant's pocket, he held up a small bag filled with white powder in front of Ness. "Please tell me you haven't done any of this..."

She let the cigarette fall from her fingers and land on the ground while she stared at the bag. Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, she looked up at her older brother, "no," she whispered. "John, I swear to you, I had no idea...where did you find that?"

John put the small baggie in the closest garbage can while he watched his little sister light up another smoke. "In the dresser. Top drawer."

**xxxxxxx**

Lillian searched the club for John, trying to stay as composed as possible while panic raised in her stomach. Her eyes looked to the top balcony where he was earlier before she convinced him to come to the dance floor, but he wasn't there. Remaining calm while she patiently walked around the club, she saw Jeff dancing with Maria.

She really didn't have a clue why the John and Ness left so suddenly.

"Hey!" she shouted over the music, getting the attention of the dancers in front of her. "Do you guys know where John is?"

Jeff nodded his head, "him and Ness went outside. Carlito just went the same way they did, through the exit over there." He pointed to the far exit where he could see Randy slowly making his way through the crowd, going in the same direction. "I'll come with you," he offered to Lillian, grabbing a hold of her hand.

Together, they zig zagged their way through the busy dance floor, past the way of spectators and employees until they made it outside where John was consoling Ness in a hug and Carlito was coolly smoking off to the side..but Randy was nowhere to be found. Jeff and Lillian exchanged a worried look while they approached the two hugging, still holding onto each others hand.

"John?" Lillian whispered, wishing she didn't have to break them apart. "Can I speak to you?"

Ness stood with Carlito, moving his arm to wrap around her waist and she kissed his neck, inhaling the fresh scent of nicotine. "Let's leave," she whispered, her hand going down the front of his pants. From the corner of his eye, he watched John and Lillian run towards the car they came in together and speed off in a hurry.

"Are you sure?" he whispered back against her lips, his fingers playing with the straps of her dress. "The night is still young, we can still party and drink.."

"Carlito," Ness cut him off, her free hand going to the back of his head, "I need you now." She forced her lips onto his, ignoring the whistles and hollers from the wrestlers that were calling it a night. Knowing he would give in eventually, he backed her up against the brick wall of the building and grabbed her thigh harshly to put around his waist. While his fingers played against the bare skin on her leg, her hips grinded against him, forcing the kiss to go harder so she could get what she wanted. "Please," she begged him, letting out a gasp when he bit her neck. "Now."

Looking down at her and letting go of her leg, he saw that she meant it. Her eyes wouldn't be as hungry as they were when she grabbed his hand and took him to the car that they had arrived in an antsy pace. Digging the keys out of his pants pocket he unlocked the doors to allow them in. When he sat down in the drivers seat, Ness instantly undid his pants, surprising Carlito.

While her hands worked through the boxer material, she found him half raised. Glaring up at him and licking her lips, she moved her hand along his erection, getting him ready before he started the car. When the engine purred, she let out a giggle...then a grunt when there was a knock on the passenger's window.

Frustrated, she rolled the tinted window down. "What?" she demanded, recognizing Jeff instantly.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted, opening the car door as if to invite her to come out of the car. "Why are you doing this?"

Her yellow high heel touched the pavement and she stood up, eye to eye with the younger Hardy. "Why am I doing what? Having fun? Being young? Not caring? Correct me if I'm wrong, Jeff," she seethed at him, "but weren't you the one that told me, I shouldn't let Randy have all the fun?" She raised her eyebrows at him, and a cocky smirk appeared on her face. "Were you not the person that told me I shouldn't be left...dry? Did you not tell me that?"

"I didn't mean..."

"I don't care what you meant!" Ness shouted. "You were the one that implied that maybe...I should go looking for someone else because Randy treats me horribly. So I did. I took your advice, Jeff. Aren't you happy that someone actually listened to you for a change?" She cupped his face in her hand, giving him a slap across his cheek. "I'm just having fun," she whispered innocently. "Just like you told me to." Pressing her pout lips together, she blew him a sarcastic kiss before she got back in the car.

"Now," she said to Carlito, her hot breath against the base of his neck. "Where were we?" her hand snaked down his pants again and she cupped him gently, rubbing him against the palm of her hand. He let out a groan while he pulled out of his parking spot, giving a shrug to Jeff through the window that was still down.

He tried to keep his concentration on the road, but when she took him into her mouth, he slammed on the brakes right in the middle of the highway, where he stayed until car horns started to honk behind him. Continuing to drive, although at a very slow pace, he kept on hand on the wheel, and his other hand on the back of her head where he stroked her hair and allowed the Spanish to roll of his tongue so naturally like she had done earlier. Her tongue swirled so expertly around the tip that he couldn't help but pull over to the side of the road, just two stop lights away from the house. "Nessa," he whispered, not seeing her cringe when he used Randy's nickname for her. "You have to stop."

She lifted her head up but kept him his her hand, "keep driving," she ordered. "And I'm not stopping until you're done."


	15. Chapter 15

Randy sped down the main drag, intoxicated, high as a kite, and not wearing a seat belt. How he left Kelly on the dance floor he felt no shame, just determination. The jealousy game that he and Ness played all night got the best of him but only in his mind would he admit defeat. The images of her with the bartender, dancing, and seeing Carlito hold her so seductively close to his own body made the jealousy point in his head reach its peak. And then there was Jeff, of course, talking to Ness outside the club while Carlito waited impatiently in the car. Even though Randy couldn't hear what he said to her, he saw the smirk on her face when she whispered back, then jerked her hand away to blow Jeff that sarcastic kiss.

He gave them a ten minute head start before he got in his car in no condition to drive. Luckily, no cops were out on the dangerous ride drive home; no one to pull him over when he ran those three red lights and did forty over the speed limit.

He parked beside Carlito's car and gave it another fifteen minutes before he stepped out of his own. While he waited, he remembered how she moved at the club when she was dancing, remembering her hips so carefree and so sexy in front of the bartender. Then he got jealous that she never moved that way for him, and how it seemed so natural for her body to move like that. When his envy settled, he pictured Ness with Carlito. She looked eager to be with him on the ride home, he saw her head go down in his lap once Carlito had his seatbelt on.

She never did that with him.

The front door slammed due to Randy kicking it closed. He yelled her name from the foyer looking into the kitchen where his half-iced cake was. He had no idea how she could keep her poker face when she asked about her and Carlito earlier. It wasn't a surprise she covered for him so easily, because she would lie to John whenever Randy was forced to hide in the bathroom.

When she wasn't in the kitchen, he went downstairs to where Jeff and Candice were staying. Ness wasn't on the couch or in the bedroom. He felt his face turn red in anger and stormed back up the stairs, holding onto the railing so he wouldn't stumble over his own feet.

Shouting her name again, he double checked the kitchen before he went out on the deck. Standing outside, his shirt undone halfway, sweat pouring off of his forehead, he looked up at her window. Clenching his fist at his sides, he watched as Carlito spun her around, smiling, and pulled her close to him. Randy watched as their lips pressed against each others, making the kiss deeper by falling out of his eye sight; he could only assume they landed on her bed.

He bit his lip until the blood ran into his mouth while he barged inside, ignoring the chair he bumped into and the carpet he tripped over in the foyer. Even falling _up_ the stairs didn't stop him from banging his fist on her door, demanding her to open it at that very moment. When she didn't answer, he kicked the door off of its hinges, just in time to see Carlito's hand run up her bare leg that sat comfortably on his hips.

Ness tore her lips away from his neck at the sudden commotion, her eyes widening at the state her boyfriend was in. "Randy," she whispered, sitting up and fixing her yellow dress. Carlito's bare arm went around her waist protectively, "want me to stay?" he asked, standing up while still holding onto her.

"No, I'll be fine." Her arms went around his neck in a hug, and she pressed her lips against his cheek. "Go to the club and get someone," she whispered so quietly Carlito hardly heard what she said.

They waited until they heard the car pull out of the driveway before either of them moved or spoke. "I can explain," she began, falling backwards when Randy grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into the hallway. Ness let out a grunt when she landed shoulder first onto the hardwood floor and for the first time, looked at him in the eye, feeling terrified. Failing to get up on her own, he grabbed a handful of her hair, dragging her into his room. He pushed her forcefully against the foot of the bed, not caring that her already injured shoulder his the metal frame first...he didn't care about anything at the moment. By the throat he picked her up from the floor and tossed her carelessly onto the bed, ignoring the thud of her head hitting the corner of the backboard.

Reaching her shaking hand to her temple, with the tips of her fingers she could feel the cold blood already streaming down the side of her face. "Randy, stop," she pleaded, aggressively kicking him in the chest while he came closer to her. "Let's just talk..." A slap to the cheek made her cry out in pain, not realizing he was sitting on her legs so she wouldn't be able to move. His hand grabbed the thin, yellow strap that held the dress together and he pulled on it, trying to bring her lips to his but only ending up snapping the strap off the dress. While on top of her, he removed his leather belt quickly and tossed it to the side of the room, removing his dress shirt as well and ignoring Ness while she squirmed beneath him. Randy squeezed her cheeks together and leaned forward, harshly kissing her while grinding himself against her thighs; he could taste the salty tears on his tongue.

He kicked his boxers off to the side of the bed, glaring down at the woman beneath him while she writhed underneath his overpowering weight. She had to close her eyes and hold back a scream when he forced himself inside of her, praying someone would come and save her at any moment. His fingers rubbed hard against the un-aroused bud as he continued his assault, taking his fingers away from her to put the pressure on the centre of her chest and making sure she stayed down. Slowly, his fingers griped around her throat and his free hand dug his nails into her thigh, gripping hard while he continued to whack his thighs against hers, violently. The nails that she dug into his forearms were slapped away when he leaned closer to bite the inside of her arm and he felt himself almost ready to finish.

Finding it harder to breathe with his hand on her chest and his teeth in her arm, Ness let out the loudest cry of help she could, but was drowned by Randy climaxing and collapsing on top of her. She felt his lips on her shoulder but kept silent when he bit down again...she knew it was going to leave a bruise similar to the one she saw on Candice's shoulder. It was when she heard the soft snores of Randy did Ness finally managed to get out from beneath him and sat at the edge of the bed, crying. Her dress was ruined, she had blood dripping down her face, and numerous little marks all along her body because she tried to fight back against the stronger man.

The picture of her was at the corner of the room, steal leaning against the closet door. Picking herself up on her wobbly legs, she made her way over to the picture, fingering the frame that Jeff had put it in. Weakly, she picked it up and admired it closer, until with a scream of frustration she threw it against the wall, causing the glass frame to shatter into little piece all around the room.

Randy woke up from the noise and glared at Ness. Feeling her legs begin to wobble again, she instantly fell to the ground and crawled her way out the room, reaching up for the door handle to escape. The door slammed behind her thanks to a last burst of adrenaline, and out in the hall is where she let out a sigh of relief knowing Randy wouldn't be able to get her out there. His grip on the handle he could hardly turn it; it was seconds later there was a thud on his side of the door because he passed out.

Bringing her knees to her chest, Ness glared down at the inside of her thigh, ignoring the blood that was trailing down onto the hardwood floor. Her breaths were shaky as it came back to her, short and shallow. Licking her bottom lip, she wasn't surprised to find more blood, the taste being oddly familiar to her tongue.

"Ness?" Looking up she saw Jeff standing in front of her. His eyes went bigger when he saw the dried blood on the side of her face and the floor. "Oh Ness," he mumbled, picking her up gently and wrapping her in a hug. "What happened?"

Burying her face inside his shoulder, she sobbed while he held her at the top of the stairs, ignoring Carlito and Candice at the bottom in the foyer.

Pulling back, she looked up at the southern man with her doe eyes and gave him a small smile before burying her face inside his shoulder and whispered, "save me."


	16. Chapter 16

Lillian woke up the next morning and laid her head on John's shoulder, snuggling close to him as the sun shone down at the foot of their bed. "I'm a horrible person," she whispered, her arm going around his waist. "I was so careless and didn't even care…" John let out a groan as he nuzzled the top of her head. "Thank you for being there last night," she said even softer, planting a kiss on the side of his neck.

When he moaned, his eyes lightly fluttered open and he looked down at the blond laying on him. "Hey Lils," he said, running his fingers through her locks. "Been awake long? Want some coffee? What time is it?" He grabbed her arm and held her wrist near his eyes, squinting to see the time. With a sigh, he threw her arm back and held her closer, "five more minutes," he mumbled, placing kisses along her neck.

"John," she giggled, pushing him off of her. "It's almost two in the afternoon. Go make some coffee."

He gave her a quick kiss before he rolled out of bed and put the pants on that were laying on the floor from the night before. Leaving the room and sliding down the railing, he entered the kitchen where Candice was reading the comics at the table, her white satin bathrobe hanging loosely off of her shoulders.

"Hey," she greeted him, giving him a smile as he entered the kitchen. "Where did you and Lillian run off to last night? You weren't home when everyone else came back…"

"Oh, yeah," he responded absently while pouring the coffee beans into the coffee maker. "She's stressed about this whole divorce thing so we went for a drive. She's fine now."

Candice stood up and leaned against the counter where John was, tying up the sash around her waist lazily. "Do you think…she'd want to talk to me right now? I need to apologize to her and Ness…"

John shook his head, "I wouldn't go up there just yet," he whispered, watching the coffee drip into the pot. Watching as the coffee became a steady stream, his side glare stared at Candice, "what are you apologizing to Ness for?" he asked.

"Stuff…"

The coffee finished brewing and John took down two mugs from the cupboards. "What does Jeff take?" he asked Candice, noticing the man's figure out on the back deck with a book in his hand. When she didn't respond, he asked the question again.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she confessed. "I don't know," she said with a sad laugh. She looked up at John, giving him a hopeless look. "I don't know what my own fiancée takes in his coffee."

Putting sugar into his own mug, John returned her shrug of the shoulders and took both of the mugs with him outside. Approaching Jeff, he settled the straight, black coffee next to him. "Candice doesn't know what you take, so it's just black," he told him, taking a sip of his own coffee.

Jeff chuckled and put the book down, sliding it over to John. "I can't believe that's the woman I'm going to marry. She doesn't even know what I take in my coffee?" He let out a grunt, "Lillian knows what I like. John," his voice dropped to a serious tone and through squinted eyes he looked up at the man that brought him his coffee, while his arms rested against the guardrail. "Am I making a bad decision by marrying Candice next week?"

"She doesn't know you, Jeff. I'm sure she's a sweet girl when it's just the two of you, but when she's around other people, she's distant and ignorant…Personally, I think knowing the little things about someone is more important than the big things."

"Like what someone takes in his or her coffee," Jeff mentioned with a laugh, taking a sip from his mug. "So…if I were to break off the engagement…"

John put his hand on his friend's shoulder as the two looked out to the green grass that lay ever so neatly beneath them, "I'd think it's a smart decision."

The younger Hardy was the first to sit down on one of the plastic patio chairs, John joining him shortly after. With the awkward silence in the air, Jeff replayed the image of Ness from last night. The blood dripping down her head and between her thighs, the yellow dress that looked like it was made for her, torn and ruined so she couldn't wear it again. After she had collapsed in his arms, he took her downstairs to the basement where she slept for the night in Jeff and Candice's bed. Except Candice slept on the couch and Ness was protectively in the arms of Jeff.

"Where did you and Lils go last night?" He finally asked, staring down at his half filled coffee mug. "You left in a hurry."

"To the hospital." John closed his eyes before he spoke, "she had a miscarriage." Jeff's eyes widened. "I knew she was pregnant, I was the only person she told. And then, as she laid there you know, IV's in her arm and she had one of those stupid hospital gowns on, she reminds me of London…"

"London?"

"It was a week after Dave gave her the divorce papers. The night before we flew out, I guess they had one more…rendezvous together. But then in London…Fuck Jeff, she was so helpless and wasted. And I was too. Neither of us were thinking straight, and you know how hard that European wine hits you." John's own blue eyes went wide, "the kid was mine, Jeff. I was going to be a Dad."

"Are you sure?" The southern man asked. "If it was Dave and then you…"

"We were so hammered, we didn't even bother with protection," John confessed. "It was such a stupid mistake, and when she first told me she was pregnant, and how it might not be Dave's, I didn't even think for a second it could be mine, not until she told me last night. I told her though, it was our kid. I was going to help her raise it, we bought a couple of small things for it, you know. Stupid clothes, a teddy bear."

"You sound like you were pretty excited," Jeff mentioned. "Sorry that had to happen, man." John gave a shrug as he took a sip from his coffee. "I guess that means you guys could stop wearing those fake wedding rings now, right?" Jeff said with a laugh. When his friend didn't laugh back, Jeff stopped. "John…"

"When everything is finalized and she's her self again, I'm going to ask her to be my wife. I can't se the rest of my life without her, it just seems so…"

"Empty?" Jeff chimed in. "I thought that with Candice. But then after last night…I realized she probably doesn't need me as much as I thought I needed her." With their mugs in the air, they clanged them together and took a sip before placing them down on the table. "If it's OK with you," Jeff began, "I'd like to take Ness out. Just the two of us, privately. We'll stay in town and I'll have her home early…"

"I don't think it's me you have to worry about, Hardy." Staring down at his empty mug, John took a glance over at Jeff's and saw his was empty too. Standing up, he took his own into the kitchen, loading it in the dishwasher before he made his way over to the cupboards and made Lillian a cup of coffee, two sugars and a cream.

On his way upstairs, he took a peek into Ness's room and saw her wrapped up in her pink bathrobe and her brown hair damp from a shower. No makeup and a pair of his socks on her feet; he knew this because there was a hole at the bottom by her big toe. "Hey brother," she greeted him, placing her pen down on the night table beside her and closing her diary.

"Hey Nessie." He lay down next to her, making sure to tickle her foot where the hole in the sock was. "Please tell me you had a better night than I did last night."

She shook her head and let out a puff of air, "I wish," she commented. "I came back here with Carlito after I yelled at Jeff again, and then Randy came here…" she turned her head to John and showed him the cut on the temple of her forehead. "I lost," she told him, knowing he would know she and Randy had a fight. While she saw her brother's face turn red in anger, she placed her hand on his shoulder and pleaded him with her eyes, "calm down, John. I can handle this on my own. I'm going to break up with him, and that'll be it."

"What did he do to you?" he seethed, resisting the urge to cradle her like she was a small child. "How bad did he hurt you? Ness, if he did this to you…"

"John, I can handle this…"

"Ness! Answer me!" He felt bad for having to raise his voice at his younger sister, especially when he saw the first tear fall from her brown eyes. When her bottom lip began to quiver, he gave in and pulled her onto his lap, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair as she cried. "I didn't mean to yell at you…"

"I want out of my relationship with him so bad," she managed to say, wiping her tears away with the back of her bathrobe sleeve. "I want him out of my life."


	17. Chapter 17

Randy rubbed his eyes as he woke up from his spot on the floor, his head already throbbing with a hangover. The sunlight pouring into the room made him groan as he curled into a ball as he went to lean against the door behind him, but it was already opened and he ended up falling backwards into the hallway. With a thud his head banged off of the ground and another groan escaped as he held his head in hopes it would stop throbbing. Opening his eyes again, a smile crept to his face as he saw Candice walking towards him. "Hey baby," he said, reaching out to grab one of her jean-clad legs as she walked passed him. When all she did was glare down at him and stepped over his body to go downstairs, he called out after her. "Candy! What's wrong?"

She stopped at the top step and glared at him, her chest rising as she took a deep breath and let out it dramatically. "Don't talk to me," she told him, not moving from her spot. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Staggering to stand up, he leaned against the wall that was closest to his room and looked at her quizzically. "You don't remember last night, do you?" she asked, slowly moving a step forward towards him. When he shook his head no, she let out another sigh. "Randy, you really hurt Ness last night. It's not my position to tell you, but I wouldn't be expecting her to talk to you anytime soon either. If I were you…" she looked down at the bottom of the stairs were Lillian and Jeff were, sharing a hug and a small laugh, "I'd leave as soon as I could," she finished.

With a turn on her heel, she walked down the stairs and greeted Lillian and Jeff with a smile, taking his hand into hers, but all Randy could make out were her lips moving, and she slowly left with the blond out the front door on their own. With his eyebrows scrunched together, he looked down at Jeff who was looking back at him. "What's going on?" Randy asked from above. When the youngest Hardy didn't answer, he stormed down the stairs and stopped immediately at the bottom of the steps.

His bags were already packed.

"Jeff!" He yelled, following him into the kitchen. "Why does everyone hate me right now?"

Jeff didn't answer as he made his way to the basement, staying ahead of Randy until he made it to the couch. Sitting down with his legs propped up on the coffee table, he turned on the TV that had stayed off during his entire visit and turned it up as loud as he could, the house quickly filling with the sounds of ESPN. "Hardy!" Randy yelled over the noise. "What the hell is going on?!" As he continued to ignore him, Jeff changed the channel, quickly landing on a music channel.

Giving up, Randy went back upstairs and out on the deck. "John! Where are you?"

From the front yard, John took his sunglasses off as he parked his car in the driveway and raised his eyebrows at his little sister. "The beast is awake," he told her, watching as she rolled her eyes and checked her hair in the rear view mirror.

"Delightful," she mumbled. "I'll stay out here and talk to him, and I already called the cab earlier before we left Sansone's. You called Vince?"

John nodded. "Randy is to meet with him at three o'clock tomorrow at the offices. I told him everything, and he said he wanted to talk to you…but he understood if you didn't want to. But yeah…the jet is picking him up at the airport, and it's flying him to Stamford." The siblings got out of the car, but it was John walking to the front door and Ness staying behind. "Are you sure?" he asked, stopping by the front step. "Are you ready to do this?"

Ness looked up at the sky and smiled at the sun, enjoying the clear blue day that was being had. "If I don't do it now, I'll never do it," she told her brother, leaning against the hood of John's classic muscle car. "I'll be fine," she assured him. John walked back to his sister, his large arms wrapping around her waist as they shared a hug in the middle of the driveway. "Thanks for breakfast," she whispered.

"It's almost four o'clock," he whispered back jokingly, poking her in the ribs.

"John! There you are! Why the hell are my bags packed? I still have three days to be here!" He gave his sister a kiss on the head before he walked back towards the house, having to shove Randy out of the way as he stood by the door and trying to look intimidating. "Ness? Do you know what's going on?"

She dug through her purse as it stayed on her right shoulder and confidently brought out a cigarette and a lighter. Lighting up, she inhaled slowly and tapped the ashes to the ground. "Yeah," she answered, placing her sunglasses down on her face. "I know what's going on."

"Then would you mind telling me why my bags are packed and at the front door?" He approached her closely, standing much taller than her and glared down at her. With another drag of her cigarette, she tapped the ashes onto his bare foot.

"We're broken up," she told him. "Last night, we broke up. You probably don't remember this, but last night when you came home and barged into my bedroom, you broke up the most intimate I've ever been with a guy."

Randy let out a laugh and smacked the cigarette out of her hand. "This is exactly what I'm talking about!" She yelled at him, shoving him out of her way. "This behavior, how you act towards me, Randy…this isn't healthy for either of us! You're immature and you cheat, and you brag about it!"

"Nessa, I've never chea…"

"Bull shit! I saw you doing Candice on the kitchen table! I eat breakfast there!" She continued to yell at him. "We broke up last night the second you barged on in Carlito and I. That very second when you were so drunk and so strung out you couldn't even think correctly, that's when we broke up. And then, when you dragged me to your room, dragged me Randy, and had your way with me? Am I really supposed to stay with you after that?"

"Nessa…"

"Shut up! You did this to me!" Flinging her brown hair back to show Randy the cut on her head, hiking up her knee-length jean skirt to show the bruises on her thighs. "You did this to me," she whispered. When he reached out to gently grab her arm, she jerked away from him. "I can't be with you anymore, Randy. I'm breaking up with you."

He stared down at the ground, ignoring how hot the pavement of the driveway was getting beneath his bare feet. "Did I ever mean something to you? Or was I just another one of your girls?"

"You meant more than they did," he confessed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I love you."

When they heard a car creep up the driveway and stopped behind John's, Ness was the first to turn around and head towards the front door, coming out seconds later with his bags; the cab was finally there. Noticing his shoes on top of the smallest bag, he put them on while she helped him load the trunk of the cab. "I wouldn't expect to see you on TV anytime soon," she told him, throwing the last bag in the backseat of the car.

"John told Vince?" Randy asked, shocked. When Ness nodded, he let out a grunt. "I can't believe him…"

"You need time to yourself and sort things out, figure what you want in life. The lifestyle you have now isn't good for you. It's the same one I had." She opened the side door and watched him get in, closing the door himself and rolling down the window.

He reached out to grab her hand, but she kept it near herself to light up another cigarette. "I meant it when I said I love you," he told her, leaning out the car and staring at the bruises on her legs.

She gave him a shrug while she blew a smoke ring in the air. "I loved you too." She gave the top of the cab two quick pounds, and standing at her spot she watched as the cab pulled out of the drive way and down the road. Watching as Randy started a new chapter in his life, and a new chapter for her.

He was officially gone.

Lillian and Candice walked up the driveway, blood shot eyes but smile on their faces. Candice approached Ness immediately while Lillian continued to walk up to the house and through the front door. John was in the living room, laying on the sofa reading a magazine, but gave his attention to the blond as she walked to the sofa and laid on top of him, her head laying against his shoulder. "Candice doesn't think they're getting married," she whispered close to his ear. "She thinks it's her fault."

John kissed Lillian's forehead. "Jeff's breaking off their engagement," he whispered back. "And it is her fault."

"Everyone is breaking up," she mumbled. "Dave and I, Jeff and Candice….did Randy and Ness break up?" When John nodded, she let out a sigh. "There's no hope for anyone if Randy and Ness can't make it."

His heart broke when he saw her close her eyes and her breathing became steady and silent. Dropping the magazine to the ground, he ran his fingers through her hair, stopping when he noticed he still had his fake wedding ring on, but she didn't. He then wondered how much she had told Candice about them if she told her about herself and Jeff. Does Candice know about the miscarriage and the night in London?

"We could," he whispered, knowing she was asleep. "Because you're the most amazing person I ever met in my life and I'd do anything for you. You're beautiful and funny and I think Dave is an asshole for divorcing you so he can be with Layla, because you're the most intriguing person I've ever met." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while she slept so peaceful on top of him, "and I love you."

The front door closed, and John could see Ness going upstairs to her room and Candice peaked her head in the living room. "Is Jeff downstairs?" she asked quietly, noticing the sleeping singer. When John nodded his head, she made her way down to the basement, going down the stairs quietly so she wouldn't ruin Jeff's concentration as he played his guitar.

She made her way around the couch and sat down across from him, her body curling into a ball as she leaned against the back of the couch while she watched him admiringly. He strummed the strings softly while he mumbled lyrics he thought of from the top of his head, before he finally turned to Candice and asked, "you want to talk don't you?"

"I just need to know where we stand, Jeff. Me and you, as a couple. Are we going to get married next week?"

Jeff stopped his guitar playing, laying the acoustic against the side of the couch and faced Candice. "No," he answered her. "We aren't getting married."

Candice bit her bottom lip as she began to cry, looking away from her now ex-fiancé. "What did I do wrong? Why don't you want to be my husband anymore?"

"Why? Because you cheat on me, Candice. You cheat, and you lie, and you break promises to my friends. This is why we aren't getting married, because you don't respect my opinion, and everything I stand for." He saw her wipe the tears from her eyes and toy with the ring around her neck, her breathing unsteady as her breakdown continued. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly. "But we just aren't meant to be."

When she felt her breathing calm down, her shaky hand went around her neck and unclasped the necklace that held the engagement ring. Opening his hand, she placed it right in the middle of his palm, and then closed it. "I didn't realize how bad of a person I was until last night, when I saw you run up the stairs so fast to get Ness. You held her so tight when she cried, and then you stayed with her last night instead of me… you really care about her don't you?"

He didn't answer as he stood up from the couch, going up stairs and into the kitchen, through the hall and upstairs to where the bedrooms were. He noticed Randy's room, empty and dark, but then realized the room two over to left and the door was open.

Ness was back in her pink bathrobe, boxer shorts that stopped at mid thigh and a white tank top to match. Her feet were bare as Jeff noticed a pair of holey socks lying on the ground by her closet, but when he looked back at Ness, she was softly smiling at him. "Hey Colours," she greeted him, patting a spot next to her on the bed.

He entered the room and sat on the bed next to her, leaning his head against the backboard. "I feel like we haven't talked in a long time," he confessed. "At least without fighting."

When she nodded her head in return, she gently placed it on his shoulder, "I'm sorry for being a bitch last night," she whispered. "Carlito and I…I don't know what that was. I took my frustrations out on you and I shouldn't have done that." She felt his lips meet her forehead and she looked up at him with a grin. "I didn't think guys like you existed. So caring and thoughtful…taken…"

"Not anymore," Jeff cut her off. "Candice and I are calling off the wedding." The tears welled up in his eyes as he stared down at the ring on the chain that was still in the palm of his hand. "We just aren't meant to be," he told Ness.

She began to take off her bathrobe and climbed underneath the blankets on her bed, pulling them up to her chest while Jeff sat there. "Let's have a nap," she suggested. "You're tired, I'm tired, and let's be honest," she sat up to cup his chin in her hand, "the last two weeks were the best thing to ever happen to us."

Jeff placed another kiss on her forehead before he took off his shirt and went beneath the covers as well. While Ness rolled over to her left, she felt his hands trickle up the sides of her white tank top, rolling up the edges and slowly removed from her body. His hands settled on her waist as he pressed his lips along the back of her shoulder and up her neck, and she could feel the heat within her rise. When he stopped, his arms simply wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his chest. "I wanted to feel your skin against me," he whispered, his fingers softly dancing on her stomach.

She didn't object. When he eyes began to flutter close, she linked her fingers through his and smiled, feeling that safe feeling she remembered from one of the first night's Jeff stayed at the house.

He really had saved her.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Ness closed the door behind her with her foot, keys between her teeth and grocery bags filling her arms. Hearing the phone ring repeatedly was getting more annoying, and since she couldn't remember where she last had it, she dropped all the bags to the ground in a vicious search for the never ending ringing. "Hey, it's Ness, leave a message…" She groaned at her voice over the answering machine. She always hated how her voice sounded over the phone.

"Ness? Ness, it's Jeff." She let out a scream as she threw a pillow across the room. "I'll be in your neck of the woods next week, and just wondered if you wanted to hang out and if you need any help moving into your apartme…"

"Jeff! Hi!" Ness found the phone underneath the coffee table beside a tabloid magazine, "how are you?" She leaned against the counter for support as she felt her heart racing and feeling like it was going to pop out of her chest. They hadn't talked in almost four months and she wasn't even sure how he even got her new phone number. "It's been so long…"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about you and thought I'd give you a call. John was saying you have your own apartment now and found a steady job." She let out a groan. Of course it was John that told him everything. "That's great, Ness. Where are you working?"

She could still feel her heart pounding. The last time she saw him they were cuddling in her bed and ended up falling asleep. When she woke up, his bags were gone and everyone had left the house. Other than John and Lillian, she hadn't heard from anyone since then. Hearing from Jeff was the last thing she expected.

"Just bartending at 15th Street Tavern, it's fun there. The tips are great, I can usually pay off the bills and whatnot from tips alone." Her heart was starting to slow down, as she became more comfortable hearing his voice over the phone for the first time. Jeff continued to tell her about the backstage on goings while she put away her groceries, stopping to take the small pint of ice cream out of the freezer. Taking a spoon and making her way to the couch, she sat down comfortably in her track pants and tank top and continued to listen to him. She had forgotten how soothing his southern accent was.

"Vince was asking about you. Just wondering how you're dealing with the whole Orton thing. Not to me, I over heard him talking to your brother. Are you doing OK?"

"Uh, yeah, things are fine," she whispered. "It was an eye opener… What time do you think you'll be here next week?"

"I think early morning, like four or five on Saturday. Will you be around?"

Ness stiffed back a yawn when she looked at the clock, noticing the late hour, 3:30AM. They've been on the phone for nearly six hours. "Yeah, I'll probably be just getting off of work by then. " From the couch she could see the open door to her room, the un-made bed, jeans on the floor, even a bra that was in the middle of the hallway. The butterflies rose to her stomach and she could feel her heart pound again. "You can stay here if you want."

Jeff turned off the TV that was in front of him as his eyes widened at her sudden offer. "Oh, sure. If you don't mind, of course, I'd hate to intrude."

Ness stood up, taking her empty ice cream container with her and placed it on the counter, leaning her head against the cupboards, "no, please," she said while trying to hide the regret in her voice. "I insist." When she heard a door slam shut and a giggle from his end on the phone, she excused herself and told him she was heading to bed, praying he didn't hear the jealousy in her voice.

When he hung up the phone, his lips were met with hers and her hand started going up his shirtless body. "Who was that?" she asked, sliding her free hand up his arm and stealing the phone away from his hand. She kissed him again, nibbled on his earlobe, and sat on top of him on his hips, hiking her skirt up so it was past her thighs. "I was disappointed you didn't come out with us tonight. We went to a great club, and drinks were on the house."

He removed her from on top of him and sat on the other bed. "You're drunk," he said, ignoring the pouty look she was giving him. "Plus, we have to leave in five hours. Go drink some water and go to sleep." Removing the jeans from his body, he stood up in his boxers and went into the bathroom, closing the door but not locking it. He turned on the shower and watched it come out of the showerhead, seeing each individual drop hit the ceramic tub at the bottom until a small stream started and going down the drain. His thoughts were lost while he took off his boxers and stepped into the hot water.

She stumbled into the bathroom shortly after. "Jeff? Why are you in there by yourself?" She drew open the shower curtain and saw the man standing with his back to the nozzle, head down. His body looked more ripped as he stood slouched against the water, rolling his neck from side to side. The leopard print dress she had on slipped off her body, leaving her high heels on the tile floor beside it. "No one should be alone," she whispered in his ear when she entered the shower.

He brought her lips to his, tasting the bubble gum lip gloss she wore so often when he was around, gently biting down on her lower lip and bringing her close to him. Their bodies pressed together with the water seeping through any given crack between them as they embraced each other and let their hands roam everywhere on one another bodies. Jeff nudged her head to the side, kissing the side of her neck while pressing her back against the wall. When she moaned, he let his fingers slide down her thighs and in between. She looked down at him as he lowered himself on her, his lips leaving tiny marks down her stomach and on the top of her hips.

The water was hardly hitting them when she gasped out his name for the first time, feeling his lips against her, his tongue moving in small circles inside. He ignored her hands moving to his head and pressing against the back of his hair, forcing him to go harder with his actions. In a sudden swipe, they were pressed back against the slippery wall while her back was beginning to arch off the tiles. More circles were swirled around her sensitive bud, yet he continued to hum against her, sending the vibrations throughout her body. When he stopped and replaced his tongue with his finger, he looked up at her heavy eyelids and smirked while her makeup began to run down her face.

She never was the pretty to him. Her pants were faked, as were her moans and any slight gasps she just happened to let out. Jeff remembered the stories he had heard previously about her actions, which he was sure was fake until he was with her tonight. When she faked her orgasm he turned off the shower and stepped back out to lean against the sink. Her arms were around him shortly, caressing his wet body. "What's wrong?" she asked, standing on her tip -toes to put her chin on his shoulder. "Why so sad?" He turned so their naked bodies were facing each other; it wasn't long before she was running her hands through the hair on his chest. "You were great."

A lie.

He shook his head clear of his thoughts before he retreated back to the bedroom, putting on his jeans and shirt without saying goodbye to the naked Maria that stood in the bathroom still when he left.

Charging down the hallway he reached the elevator and violently hit the up button. The lift couldn't have come soon enough once he saw Maria running towards him in his boxers and her hands covering her breast.

"Jeff! Jeff, wait!" she yelled, reaching the elevator as the doors closed.

While he rode up in silence he ignored the couple that walked onto the elevator with him and greeted him with a wave. Nonsense, he thought. He knew where he was going and who he need to talk to.

Getting off on the 15th floor, he looked for the room number that she told him from earlier, in case he needed "anything". At that moment, Jeff Hardy needed everything.

He tapped on the door lightly and smiled when she greeted him, still dressed in her club outfit. "Hey Jeff, hang on a second… want to go grab a coffee?" His nod as an answer left a smile on her face as she left the door slightly ajar while she went to her purse to grab some pocket change. A quick peek and he saw that John was passed out underneath the blankets while a sport channel blared from the TV. "I don't think I can watch another Stanley Cup highlight," she lightly joked as she entered the hallway.

"I'm not good enough," he blurted out before they reached the elevator. "Can we take the stairs?"

"Sure?" Lillian answered quizzically. "If that's what you want."

Once they made it to the stairwell, Jeff raced down the first flight to reach the leveled floor and began pacing. Lillian took a seat on the middle step and watched. "Tonight, I was with Maria," he began. "So there we are in the shower, and she's faking it. I can tell she's faking because I've seen a lot of…movies. And it's like she studied them. Every single move of hers tonight was faked, and it got me thinking…" he took a seat a step below Lillian, "what if I'm not good enough anymore?"

"Jeff, don't be silly…"

"I'm serious, Lils. Not having sex with Candice the whole time we were together I think really screwed me up. I thought it was the right thing to do because of morals and whatever, but it's like I have forgot how to do anything." He looked up at his long time friend as he leaned against the wall behind him. "I was talking to Ness tonight."

The blond singer gave him a smile, "how is she doing in her new apartment? She invited us to stay in it next week."

"She invited me too," he told her. "But as I was talking to her, and she's telling me about her new job, her new apartment, this ice cream she was eating, I couldn't help but thinking she was it."

"It?"

"The one, Lillian. I think Janessa Cara Cena is the one." He smiled as his eyes grew soft just thinking about her. "I like holding her, and being with her, and listening to her, and talking to her. I like _her, _as a person, as a friend… as a mate. She's just so…"

"Her," Lillian finished off her friend's sentence.

Jeff stood up, clapped his hands together and pointed at her. "Exactly! That's exactly it. I don't know anyone else like her! But see, then I got thinking… after everything she went through with Randy, she deserves a nice guy. And… what if I'm not him? What if, and I mean if, we're intimate and I can't please her? What if I'm not good enough?"

Lillian dusted off the back of her skirt, opening her arms to invite Jeff for a hug. When his arms wrapped around her waist, she whispered in his ear, "if 'If and But's were candy and nuts, it'd be Christmas everyday'." She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "Don't doubt yourself, Hardy. If she's the one, then go for it. Tell her how you feel and what she means to you."

He hugged her again, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Where did you learn to give such good advice?" he asked.

"I eat a lot of fortune cookies." She returned the kiss on the cheek and looked at him dead in the eye. "Go get her."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Nothing was looking right. Every outfit Ness had tried on that day just wasn't working with what she was feeling. Not wanting to admit it, but not only had she not expected Jeff to call her last week, she was so busy with work and getting comfortable in her new apartment, she didn't even have time to think of the Hardy Boy. Now he's been the only thing on her mind all week.

Throwing a tank top on her bed with a grunt, Ness didn't even hear him enter her apartment. "Ness?" he called out. She smiled; pizza had also entered in quant space. "I have dinner."

Coming out in his shorts and one of her brother's shirts, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank God. Do you know how much clothes I have, and not one thing looks right on me tonight. I don't know what I'm going to wear tomorrow when I see him…"

"Jeff?" Austin raised his eyebrows as he stole a slice from the box. "I didn't know you wanted to get all dressed up to see him." The fizz of her soda being poured into a glass filled the muteness in the kitchen. "Do you like him?" he finally asked, watching as her eyes fell to her pizza on the paper plate.

She gave a shrug while she picked off a pepperoni. "I don't know," she answered. "He'll be staying here, with John and Lillian for a week…"

He gave out a laugh, resting his bearded chin on his fist. "You didn't tell them that I live here with you? Where am I going to sleep for a week? I can't hang out at the bar for seven days, Ness…"

"I didn't think about it, ok? It just came out because I know how wrestlers budget everything and I thought they could save a couple of dollars by staying here." She finally looked up at Austin, his tattooed arm thrown so casually over the back of the chair, his hair in an unkempt mess on his head. His intense, brown eyes looked hurt, which she couldn't blame him for: she was thinking of another man in an intimate way, and it wasn't him. "I'm sorry," she apologized in a whisper.

"Do you like him?" he asked again. His eyes stayed on her while she ate her pizza in silence; his pizza stayed on his plate. "Does he know about me? Or even us?"

"Austin, I've spoken to him once in the last four months, and the last thing I need is for you to be angry at me because I didn't mention you. He knows about my last relationship, I know about his…"

"He knows you have a new apartment but doesn't know you have a roommate that has feelings for you. He knows that you live in a nice quiet spot near a beautiful lake, but he doesn't know who you watch the sun rise with." He stood up from the table, only to sit in the chair next to Ness and take her hand in his. "He knows how beautiful you are," he told her when he whispered in her ear, "but he doesn't know he's not the only person that thinks that."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her fingers played with his hair while she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and bring her onto his lap. "I don't want to hurt you," she confessed, staring ahead at the wall in front of her. "But I can't be with someone whose feelings I can't share back."

He sat up with her, taking her hand away from his arm. The last thing he wanted was her touching him, knowing how she felt towards another man. "So, would Jeff just take you in like I did?" he asked, standing up from his chair and walking away from her. "Ness, you just showed up to the bar one night, and asked to live with me. I gave you a job, a roof over your head, and two months without paying rent." Sitting up on the counter, he leaned forward, his muscular arms settling on his legs. "Would he do that? Would Randy have done that? How many guys out there do you know, would take you into their home after only having seen them once?" He began to pace back and forth; she noticed he did this a lot when he was stressed. "One time, Ness. I saw you once, and you were the most broken girl I had even seen. Using me to get back at Randy because he was cheating on you. What am I to you now, just a guy you can sleep with you need a good lay? Or, am I the reliable friend that was there for you when you recovered from all those cuts and bruises he gave you? Are you even healed yet?"

Ness bowed her head; allowing her new, shortly cut hair slightly falls in front of her face. Once everyone had left the house, one of the first things she did was take a pair of scissor's and cut her almost waist length hair, all the way up to her chin. She even got a new tattoo, a simple broken heart on her foot. Truth is, she was healed. But with all the questions, she felt like Austin was re-opening the wound Randy had left. "I'm fine," she whispered with doubt in her voice. "I didn't know they were going to leave when they did, it was so unexpected…I can't live with my brother forever, I had to leave. He's done so much for me…"

"And I've done nothing…"

"Is that what you want me to say?" Ness challenged, standing up from her spot. "I can't compare you to my brother! John paid for my rehab, my plane tickets, the apartment we lived in while we lived in California, my car, my parking tickets, my speeding tickets, fuck Austin, he even paid for some of my drugs without even knowing it," she told him calmly, walking towards him as he remained on the counter. "I can't fight with you right now, Austin. I need you to understand where I am coming from."

"And I need you to understand where I'm coming from, Ness. I took a chance bringing you into my home, into my work place. All I knew about you was that you wanted to make your boyfriend jealous, and I was the first guy you saw. It could've been any other bartender that night, but you came to me because I look the exact opposite of Randy. I do understand where you're coming from," he hoped off the counter and took her hands in his, their lips so close they were almost touching, "and I think its absolute bullshit you're leaving me for Jeff."

Ness couldn't help but press her lips to his. She pressed them hard enough, passionately enough, that he had spun her around and backed her all the way up against the counter, making her back bend so he could begin a trail of kisses on her neck. She knew she was going with Jeff in the end, but one last round never hurt anyone…

Austin busied his hands with the drawstring to her short skirt she had on, pushing it down her legs, kicking it off to the side while he discarded the tank top she had on as well. She felt his mouth move lower on her body, stopping at her naval where he sucked and kissed the skin around it. Her hands fisted the back of his head while she withered on the counter, almost slipping off until he scooped her up in his arms to lay her on the floor.

His lips went back to hers, which she savored for the moment, keeping her hand on the back of his head, as if that was making him stop from doing anything else to her. His jeans against her skimpy g-string caused friction to each other, making her move her free hand down his body and in between the small space between his boxers and his skin. He was erect when her hand reached him, departing her lips from his to look into his desperate eyes. Silently pleading for her to free himself, she raised her hips to meet his as he supported himself on his arms, hovering above her. She continued to stare at him, biting her bottom lip as her fingers un-did the copper button to his jeans and slipped them off with her heels.

A moan from the bottom of his throat was heard when the jeans were removed. He wasn't wearing any boxers, and he hung near her entrance, teasing her through the cloth of her g-string. Continuing to kiss her with sweet, short kisses, he knelt in front of her while his fingers trickled down the side of her body, her bare chest heaving in anticipation. Allowing his name to escape her lips, she felt the silk material move off her legs, and watched as the yellow piece was tossed to the side. Ness watched as his hand lay on her stomach, gently pushing her awaiting hips back down to the floor. "Austin," she whispered when he moved his face closer to hers, stealing her lips with his to silence her.

So submissive, he noticed while his hand groped her left breast. Her eyes were closed as he rolled the nipple with the palm of his hand, treating the other breast with his mouth. Austin felt her hips begin to rise again, nearing herself towards him, but he put an end to that with a small gesture of his own hips meeting hers. In his head, he had decided he was going to go slow, allow her to enjoy the essence of someone who took their time with her needs. From what he remembered, she never mentioned Randy doing that with her, never bothered to find out what she liked and was only concerned with leaving his mark on her, the small teeth marks from where he had bit her on that night still remained. Tonight, Austin would simply make love to Ness, in hopes that her heart would belong to him instead of Jeff.

It only took one simple thrust of the hips to make her finally open her eyes, matching his glare as he began his rhythm. "Austin," she whispered again, taking a hard swallow when he reached as he could go. "Stop." He stared back down at the woman beneath him, giving another lunge into her, "please stop," she said quietly again.

With a sigh, he leaned over to wear his boxers were and threw them back on, not looking at Ness as she laid on the kitchen floor, naked and leaning against the lower cabinets. She heard the shower turn on a few moments later while she gathered her clothes off of the floor. Putting the tank top back on, she quietly slipped on her g-string and mini skirt, only to walk over to the bathroom door and give it three small knocks with her knuckle.

When he opened the door slowly, towel around his waist and water dripping down his hard, chiseled body, he took a second before he looked at her, trying to get her eyes to meet his. "You want to be with him, don't you?" he asked her, gently moving her out of the way while he walked towards his room.

She followed him like the lost woman she was, leaning against his doorway while she watched him get dressed. "That hurt," he began to talk, sitting on his bed while he put on a pair of socks. "I had to stop because you would rather be with a another guy. Why did you even let it get that far in the first place?"

"I wasn't thinking straight," she admitted. "I thought we could do it one last time…"

"Oh, so you didn't even attach the emotional value to it," he cut her off while he stood up to do the zipper on his jeans. "I was just one more ride before you left me shamelessly so you can be with Jeff. Is he better than me, is that it Ness? Can he please you better? Is he bigger? What is it?"

"I never slept with him!" She felt her face get hot at the accusation. "It's nothing to do with sex with him, Austin. You're so childish to even think that! To even think that was the reason boggles me, and makes me feel like that's why you want to be with me. Is that why you want to be with me?" She confronted him. "Did you take me in because just maybe, I would sleep with you?"

Shirtless, he stood in front of her, and while he wasn't much taller, she felt like he was towering over her small frame. "I just want to know what he does to make you feel the way that you do about him," he admitted while shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why do you want to be with him, and not me?"

Ness knew the answer as soon as he asked the question. She had tried explaining it to John, and even once to Lillian all those months ago. It was right there on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say it. She let the silence pretend she was thinking to give him more suspense. She knew Jeff. They saw each other everyday for two weeks; they baked pies together, unsuccessfully made a batch of cookies, and spent a lot of free time together as well. She knew what it was about him that made her want him. She knew exactly what it was, as she felt it when she first fell and he caught her. It was when he looked down at her eyes and asked the simple question: "Are you ok?" Because deep down, she knew she wasn't. She wasn't OK with living on her own after her battle to addiction, her cheating boyfriend, and the constant bitterness between her and Candice. Nothing was OK... until him.

"He makes me feel," she finally answered, tucking a strand of hair behind Austin's ear. "He makes everything feel real. Like it's OK if I have a problem that I can't face. It's OK if I cry. Jeff…" she stopped to think as she looked into her his eyes… "He's real. He held me, and it felt safe and protected. Our curves fit into each other, like we belonged together."

Austin walked away from her to grab a shirt from his closet. "That's it?" he asked while he put the shirt on. When she nodded her head, he pursed his lips together and nodded his as well. "OK," he said with a shrug of the shoulders. "Then go be with him. But when I get back from work…" he picked up a pair of running shoes and sat back down on his bed to put them on, "I don't want any of your stuff here. I want you moved out and gone before morning." When the laces were tied he moved towards her where she still stood by the doorway, "maybe Jeff can help you with that," he spited.

Without saying a word, she watched as he left the apartment, even ignoring the shoulder bump he gave her when he was leaving. There was nothing she could say to him now, for she was back to having no place to stay, and could only assume that meant she needed to find another job as quickly as possible.

With a sigh, she turned on her heel and headed towards her room. Finding her suitcase from underneath her bed, she began to dump out all of her clothes that she had in her drawers, her closet, even some items that were hiding in Austin's room. Ness had only lived there for a short amount of time, which made the packing somewhat easier… it was just doing up the suitcases that was the trouble…

"Need help?" Standing up from sitting on the luggage, Ness threw herself into the arms of Jeff Hardy, who was quick enough to embrace the woman he hadn't seen in so long. "Hello to you too," he mumbled jokingly, lifting her off the ground to spin her around.

It was when he had planted her back on the ground did he finally cup her face into his hands and crashed his lips onto hers.


	20. Chapter 20

Note: For all my John\Lillian shippers! This one is for you 

Chapter 20

John heard the hotel door slam shut as Lillian left in a huff, after yet another argument they had. "Fuck," he said out loud. There goes that filter between his mind and his mouth. He got up from the bed and open the door to check the hallways, but couldn't see her anywhere, and didn't have the slightest clue as to where she could be. Taking the elevator down to the lobby where the bar was, he walked in and ordered a beer, taking a seat at the bat to watch the football game on the television screen.

He took a sip and thought of where she could have been, but his thoughts were interrupted when a familiar laugh came from behind him and sat down on the free stool to his right. "Why so down, champ?" Not answering her, he took another sip of his beer. "Oh, I get it.; the silent treatment. That's cool. We don't have to talk." She ordered a glass of red wine and stared at him while her drink was being prepared. "You know, it's the funniest thing…"

"Do you know where she is?" He hated himself for actually having to speak to her, but if it would shut her up, then he would forgive himself later. "I don't want to talk to you unless you know where she is."

"Of course I know where she is, I'm not an idiot." Candice took a sip from her wine and gave him a smirk. "What did you say that made her run to him like that?"

"Him?"

"I asked first. Look, I want you to be with Lillian as much as the next person we work with, because frankly, we're getting sick of how lovey dovey you guys are together and not doing a fucking thing about it. Just ask her already, will you? I know you have the ring." She nodded her head to his jean pocket, noticing the box shaped object. "It will put you and everyone else out of their misery, and we can finally move on knowing you guys are actually going to be with each other instead of… whatever you have going on right now."

John took a long drink from his beer before he allowed his thoughts to think about what Candice had said. He hadn't realized him and Lillian was such a hot subject around the locker room, and he was slightly embarrassed his admiration for her was as noticeable as it was. What he had said to her earlier was now forgotten, but it was the one thing Candice said that stuck: " What did you say that made her run to _him_ like that?"

He cleared his throat. "Him?" John asked again.

Candice swished the wine around in her glass and gave him a smirk. "You should know by know, Cena," she whispered, eyeing up Carlito and Maria as they entered. "Look, I didn't tell you this, but I figured after everything you have done for me the last couple of months, this is the least I could do." She leaned forward and gave him a look to do the same. "I only know this because I was there, but Lillian… she's with Dave right now. She went to him in tears, so whatever you two were fighting about, figure it out because I know right now him and Layla are on the outs."

John sat back, confusion clear on his face. "Why were you with him when Lils got there?"

"Like I said, him and Layla are on the outs." John shook his head at her response. Now that she wasn't with Jeff and Randy wasn't around, he had been hearing more Candice stories around the locker room. "So, do me a favor tonight," she continued, putting more than enough money down on the bar to cover both drinks, "try and have that ring on her finger by the morning."

Candice took one last drink from her glass of wine and stood up to leave, only for John to grab her by the arm; stopping her in her tracks. When she turned to look at him, she took a deep breath before she began talking, as if she already knew what he was going to ask. She sat back down on the bar stool, "she still trusts him, John. They're on the same roster; they've been through so much with each other, you can't just forget about things like that. So before I leave," she took his hand in hers and played with the ring he still had on his ring finger, "how about you tell me what you said to her."

He stayed silent, ordering another beer while watching the football game. He allowed her to continue playing with his hand, feeling her nails trace over his skin, spinning the fake wedding ring around his finger. "Did you say she looked fat?" she asked jokingly. At least she got him to smile.

"No," he answered, still smiling. "I just don't know where we stand, you know? So, I'll talk to her about things like a friend would do, so tonight I said how pretty Kelly looked…"

"She did look good tonight…"

"And she got all pissed off and left. How was I supposed to know that would piss her off?" Candice shrugged while she searched through her purse, looking for her wallet. "I can't read her mind. I can't read yours… I can kind of read Ness', but whatever. If she's all mad at me now, how am I supposed to be confident she'll say yes?"

Giving the bartender enough money to cover their drinks, plus extra, she used all her strength to pull John up from his seat and took him back to the lobby and out the door, going outside so she can enjoy a cigarette. "I never knew you smoked," John commented.

She never answered. "How do I know she'll say yes?" Candice asked, changing the topic. "John, I know I put you and everyone else through hell when I stayed with you, and I'm truly sorry about everything. It really helped me open my eyes as to what I was doing though, you know? I feel horrible for calling Ness those names, and for cheating on Jeff so obviously, and then the whole thing with Randy…" she took a drag and exhaled. "But just trust me on this. I know it might be hard, but please. Just… trust me?"

John held back a laugh. Trust Candice? The same girl that ruined her own engagement and his sister's relationship? The girl that, supposedly, slept with both Edge and Hunter at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, while engaged to Jeff Hardy? 'Sex on Legs'? Trust? "You can't be serious," John finally said. "Look at your track record! How am I supposed to trust your opinion on something you failed at? Candice, you are the last person anyone should go to when it comes to relationship advice…"

"I know about the baby." She stubbed her cigarette out with her toe while cutting John off. "Lillian told me when we went for a walk, before we all left your place. I know, and Jeff knows. We haven't told anyone, and that's possible the biggest secret anyone can keep. So, I can go off and tell, let's say…Maria and Carlito over there," she pointed through the window at the couple, sitting alone near the back of the bar. "Or you can trust me."

He stared down at their feet, watching as her toe continued to stub out the cigarette, grinding it to dust, then continued to stare at the exact space as Candice walked off, hands in her jeans pocket and the way of her hips that would let her get what she wanted. It was her known swagger, and he found it unsurprising that she was on the arm of Batista… which could only mean Lillian was back in the room…

John dashed to inside the building and hurried to the elevator, ignoring the calls from other wrestlers to come join them for a drink. When the elevator didn't come soon enough, he ran down the hall and took the stairs, taking every other step to try and get to the room fast enough. When he reached his floor and saw his hotel room door already slightly open, his heart slowed just a little bit. At least he knew she was in there.

"Lils?" He found her sitting on the bed in one of his shirts and a glass of wine. "Where did you go? I was looking for you."

"Don't lie to me like that. I saw you outside with Candice, staring at her all lovey like." She took a sip from her wine and glared up at John. "You're standing in front of the TV. Move, please."

John turned around and saw he was in fact, in the way. He turned it off to get her attention. "Why did you go to him?"

"Why did you turn off the TV? I was watching ER…"

"You never watch ER! What is up with you tonight? You flip out because I complimented Kelly, you go to Dave, and now you're watching ER… Lils, you're never like this. Is it something I did? Lillian," he sat down on the bed and took the wine glass out of her hand, "can you talk to me? Please?"

She folded her arms across her stomach and continued to glare at him. With a sigh, she slightly tilted her head in his direction and blinked. "I just wanted to see him again, just to be sure that…" she swallowed hard, "just to be sure that there really isn't anything between us…if we really are over. When you're a little girl you know, you don't imagine your first marriage to end quickly. It's always together forever, happily ever after. He was my Prince Charming…and then it was just…over." She accepted John's hand in hers and leaned forward, laying her head on his lap. "Why did he stop loving me?"

"Lils," he moaned, placing a kiss on her forehead. "It's done with now. So your marriage didn't last as long as you wanted it to…"

"But it was supposed to, John! We were going to be together for the rest of our lives because that's what we said in our vows! He said he would be faithful and love me, and he lied! He lied at our wedding!" She brushed off the tear that was falling down her cheek, "he lied to me…"

John sighed as he ran his fingers through the blonde's hair, doing his best to calm her down. He had become used to her little outburst like this, it has almost become weekly since they left his house. Four months ago. "Lillian, you have to move on…" he said with a sigh, repositioning himself so his back was against the headboard. "Let me help you move on. I'll be your ear so you won't have to go back to him. I'll be there for you, and you be there for me, that's how this will work, Lils. Remember when I told you that you wouldn't have to go through…" he took a breath, "that you wouldn't have to go through the pregnancy alone?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "I kept promise then, right?"

"Did you want a boy or a girl?" She moved from her spot on his chest and sat up next to him. "I was kind of hoping for a boy. Either one would be cool, but I always wanted a boy first, so when I had a girl, she had someone to protect her, like what my brother did for me." She traced his jaw line with her fingernail, "and he'd look just like his Daddy."

John returned her smile and placed a kiss on her forehead, holding both of her hands with his in the middle of the two of them. "And I really liked the name Jesse for a boy. Do you think I'll ever get pregnant again, John?"

He nodded his head as an answer while he brought her hands up to his lips. "I do," he said. "When you're done with this company, because you've been here for far too long," he paused to watch her laugh, "I think you will find someone that loves you way more than Dave ever did, and you'll have three kids, just like your parents did. You'll live in a nice house with that creek in the backyard you always wanted, in a nice suburb area…"

"Be him," she cut him off. When his eyes widened, she looked down and shook her head. "I mean…"

"You want me to be him?" he asked her. "You want me to…"

"Yes! I know it sounds crazy because I was just crying about Dave but John… you and I just… fit. Dave and I never fitted. When you held me in London, and I fit so well in your arms? I felt so safe. And it's taking me now to realize this, but… you're my best friend. People marry their best friends all the time…"

"Marry?" John asked, feeling the small box in his pocket.

Lillian got off the bed, holding onto John's hand and led him to the middle of the room. Then, she got down on one knee. "Let's do this," she said. "Me and you, Lillian and John. Forever. What do you say?"

Giving her a smile, he took out the box from his pocket and got down on his own knee, doing his best to resist a laugh. "Seriously?" he asked her, mocking how she would say it. He leaned closer, pressing their foreheads together and their lips hardly apart from each other. "I'm in it if you are, partner." He took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger, then pressed his lips against hers.

Her arms went around him and brought him on top of her, this huge wave of worry finally leaving her body. She moaned at his touch on the inside of her thigh, breaking their lips apart so she could let out a gasp. Arching her hips towards his, she opened her eyes, only to find him undoing his pants. "Do you want to mo…"

"There's no time," he whispered on her neck, using his fingers to swiftly remove her panties from underneath the shirt she was wearing. "I need you now." Her eyes went hooded at the first thrust and she called out his name in pleasure. Each thrust by him was met with a moan by her, but he was sure to take his time. He tried to remember his moves from London, because although the night was fuzzy, she wasn't. Her tears, her cries, her longing for attention was all clear as day when his lips met hers again, and she was whispering to him.

"I'm…close…" she whispered, her nails digging into his biceps. "Mas duro!" It wasn't long before he collapsed, leaning his forehead on her shoulder while her legs twitched. They caught their breaths on the ground, laying in each other's arms and listening to one another's heartbeat.

"John?" Lillian whispered, removing her arms from around his neck and cupping his face. "Together?"

His lips against hers were all she needed for an answer. "Together," he whispered back, giving her another kiss. "I promise I won't let you go."

Note: Please review! There's only two chapters left!


	21. Chapter 21

She wrapped her arms so tight around his neck he had to loosen them himself. "Hey," he whispered, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I know I'm a little early..."

"My suitcase won't close! I...I didn't think I had so much stuff right but now it's just not closing, but when I moved here, it was closing just fine..."

"Let me help. I learned that if you actually folded the clothes..." he picked up a t-shirt and demonstrated on folding it, "you can pack more things..."

Ness stood at her doorway, arms folded across her stomach as she watched him fold her laundry ever so neatly. "Jeff," she whispered, her eyes blinking ever so softly, "what are you doing here?"

He laid the pair of jeans on top of her suitcase and gave a shrug. "I haven't seen you in a while, thought I'd stop by and say hi."

She met him on the bed, pushing her luggage off to the side. "No one kisses anyone like that just to say hi. What are you really doing here?"

So many excuses went through his head at that moment, but he knew she would call him out on his lies. The second Lillian told him to get _her, _he never looked back. He had sent a text to John on the plane, to confirm it was OK to be with his sister, and that was the end of that. Everyone would be in Colorado in a few hours, it's just Jeff had to get there first. To get her.

"Jeff, stop thinking and just tell me. You're starting to make me worried that I'm doing something wrong."

He gave her a smile and stood up from the bed, beginning to pace back and forth. "I'm here..." he began, making eye contact with the woman he saved, "I'm here because I want to be with you. I gave it so much thought last night you know, after we were done talking on the phone and I was with Maria... she was just so fake. You, Ness... you aren't fake. You're so real, and so... flawed. You've made so many mistakes, but you just roll with it. You don't dwell on every little thing like Candice did... I don't know. I talked to you, then I talked to Lillian and... I have to be with you. I don't want anyone else but you. There." He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched the back of his head, scared to look at her now. "That's why I'm here. To be with you."

She chewed on her bottom lip as she stared down at her feet, glaring at the chipped blue nail polish on her toes. He was only there for her... "And now I feel like an idiot because you aren't saying anything. Fuck! I knew this would happen... that I would just confess everything and you won't..."

"It's not that," she cut him off, still staring at her toes. "I just got kicked out of here by my roommate..."

"Roommate? John said you lived by yourself."

She let out a helpless sigh, "that's what I told him. So he could think I was independent and that I don't really need anyone, and that I can move on from... everything." She sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her, inviting him to join. "I was using again," she confessed, keeping her concentration on her toes. "Austin... he was my roommate... you know, we would be done a shift and it'd be a good night, so we'd come back here and get high..."

Ness leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes, not wanting to see his reactions. "I'm not proud of what I have done since you left. My judgement has been messed up and I just haven't been... me. I miss that, you know? Just hanging out with someone and just talking. Like what we used to do. We just talked..."

Jeff laid on the bed next to her, pulling her into his arms and allowing her to lay on top of him. He could tell from how his arms wrapped around her that she had lost some weight and she seemed warm, almost fever like. "When was your last hit?"

"Two days ago." She shivered in his arms. "It was you, wasn't it?" she whispered, leaning on her arms for support on top of his chest. "That one night when you held me downstairs on the couch... you came into the bed and held me?"

He didn't answer. Tucking a strand of her short hair behind her ear, his eyes were fixed on hers when he remembered that night. "I had a feeling it was you," she told him, looking down at his shirt and placing her hands flat on his chest, "because I asked Randy to hold me a few nights later, and we just didn't..." she was speaking with her hands, intwining her fingers together as she tried to find the right word.

"Fit?" Jeff suggested.

"Yes! He was too muscular, there was no softness to him...but you and I we just... fit." She laid her head on his chest lightly, listening to his heart beat as his arms went back around her and his hands settled on her lower back. "I miss you," she whispered. "Austin was kicking me out because he realized that I liked you, and that... that I'd rather be with you than him."

"Hey," he said softly, turning her head so they faced each other and placed his forehead against hers, "I like you too." They kissed again, softly as neither of them wanted to push it any further. "And if you're willing to work on this, then I am too. But this is something that we both have to want." He took her hands into him and sat up, placing their hands in his lap. "Is this something you want?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Let's do this... _us_ thing. But Jeff..." She gave him a smile as a tear trickled down her cheek, "I don't have a place to live."

He got off her bed and zipped up her luggage. "Come with me," he said, holding his hand out for her to accept. "I know a place where we can go."


End file.
